Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-07
continual increase, through Jesus Christ,

continual increase, through Jesus Christ,
our Lord. Amen"
Commissioner Macfarland. as presiding
officer of the ceremonies remarked ON the
presence Of President Roosevelt. and smil-
ingly asked for a word from him.
"A notable citizen Of the republic OF let
ters" he said. ''who won enduring fame as
a bookman before he became famous all
around the world as a statesman, an au-
thor whose works must be in every library,
and whose sympathetic interest goes out 10
every development of the library move
ment, honors this occasion with his pres
ence 1 present the President Of the United
States, and trust that he will speak to u.s..
The Presidents Remarks.
The President responded to Mr.. Macfar-
as follows:
':Mr. Macfarland, Mr.. Carnegie, Gentle
men and Ladies: count myself fortunate
in being able to come here today, not only
for my own private, individual sake. but
as in some sort representing the people of
our country, to express my profound ap-
probation Of what is emphatically the gift
of wisdom.
"A gift Of the utmost possible benefit to
all the people of the country from you, Mr.
Carnegie. Applause.)
1T seems to me that the man has right
to call himself thrice blessed who has
in him the combined power and purpose to
use his wealth for the benefit Of all the
people at large in a way that can do them
real benefit, and in no way can more benefit
be done than through the gift of libraries
such as this.
"a free library, where each man, each
woman, has the chance to get for himself
or herself the training that he has the
character to desire and to acquire. Now,
of course, our common school system lies
at the foundation of our educational sys-
tenn, but it is the foundation only The
| men that are to stand pre-eminent as the
representatives Of the culture Of the COM
munity must educate themselves. (Ap-
plause)
And the work done by this library is help
full because it represents one side Of the
way in which all this self-educational work
in a community must be DONE
Mr.. Carnegie, neither you nor any one
else make man wise or cultivate him.
All you can do is to give him a chance to
his own cultivation, and that Is all you
can do in any kind Of genuine philan-
thropic work. The only phlanthropic work
is work that helps a man to help himself.
This is true in every way, socially and So
ciologically. The man who will submit or
demand to be carried is not worth carry
ing"
Go this Mr. Carnegie calculated, Hear!
Hearty
Every man Of us needs help, needs more
and more to be given the chance to show
forth in himself the stuff that is in him,
and this Kind of free library Is doing In
the world of cultivation, the world Of civil
ization, what it should or may do for the
great world Of political and social develop
ment; that Is, it is as far as may be,
equalizing the opportunities and then leaH-
Ing the men themselves to show how able
they are to take advantage of those oppor-
tunities. (Applause)
I'm other words. this is the kind of gift
that strikes the happy middle course to
show public spirit on the one hand and to
help those to take advantage of 1t on the
other hand.
ITO quote an expression that 1 am fond
of, this sort Of gift is equally far from two
prime vices of our civilization, hardness OF
heart and softness of head. (Applause.)
Il am not here to make a speech, and,
unfortunately, have to leave at once, as
the President has several duties to at
tend to.
1 have come because I feel that the move
ment for securing better facilities for self
training, better facilities for education in
it's widest and broadest and deepest sense is
one of such prime importance that the
President Of the United States could no
where more properly come than to this
building, Mr.. Carnegie, at this time. to
thank you for the gift that you have given
to the people of the national capital" (Ap-
plauSeD
Mr. Macfarland then made the formal
transfer of the building to the trustees
saying:
Commissioner Macfarland's Address.
an the heart of the national capital, near
the center of population of the District of
Columbia we open today the Washington
Public Library building, the gift of Mr.. An
drew Carnegie. This library has grown in
ten years, through the efforts Of citizens