The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-08
CARNEGIE'S LIBRARY IDEAS
EXPRESSED At DEDICATION OF
WASHINGTON BUILDING.

Free Libraries the Cradles OF Dem ocT"cy
Know Neither Rank Nor Btrth-In
the Library Manuincturims Business
for Good-EEas Given 733 BnIIdings-
EIus More Than 500 Applications Most
Washington, JAM IA throng Of per-
sons of note assembled this afternoon
to attend the ceremonies Of dedication
of the public library. The event oc-
CURED in the auditorium Of the new Ii
brary, a handsome white marble struc-
ture located on Mount Vernon Square.
The participants in the exercises in
cluded the president Of the United
States, Andrew Carnegie, the donor ot
$3.50, ,000 the cost of the building, and
the presidents of the building commits
sion and the board of library trustees.
Among those Who attended the Cere-
monies were the members of the cabi-
net, the senate and house of representa-
tives and people prominent in political
and civil life throughout the United
States.
Mr.. Carnegie was given an ovation
when he arose to speak. He said, in
part:
The free library, maintained by all
the people for all the people, knows
| neother rank nor birth within its walls
Even he who honors us to-day by his
august presence, the holder of the high
est position upon earth, the elected of
| the majority of the English-speaking
race-a position compared with which
| all inherited positions sink into ms g
nificance-Within these walls has no
privilege which is not the right of his
poorest and humblest fellow citizen.
| Free libraries maintained by the
| people are cradles of democracy, and
| their spread can never fail to extend
and strengthen the democratic idea, the
equality of the citizen. the royalty OF
man. They are emphatically fruits or
the true American ideal But while
even the president thus stands upon the
| common level as president, we cannot
fail to remember that in the free library
4
cial, as prince in the republic Of let
ters, for in the ranks of those who con-
stitute the chief glory of the nation
it's authors, this was won long since by
Theodore Roosevelt. the author. Be
fore he was president he had, Caesar
like, not only caused his fellows tC
mark him and write his speeches In
their books, but had made books him.
self l doubt not that of the books
taken from this library his will rank
high in the list. We hail him to-day
therefore, in the dual capacity of pres
ident and author, positions unsurpassed
in their several spheres rare and won
derful in combination"
Mr.. Carnegie said that he had given
chiefly within the past two years, 79'
library buildings During the month o
July last 276 applications for library
buildings were received from all part'
of the English-speaking world. Whet
he arrived in New York last month
from Europe he found awaiting hin
applications for 450 additional build
ings. To-day he has on hand 1856 neV
applications making in all under con
| sideration now more than sou, tn
great majority of which, he said, VIII
no doubt be given.
Referring to the concentration OF nj
mind on the library business, MI
Carnegie said he had been a concentra
tor all his life. II have seld m or neve
known" he continued, "a great success
made by a jack of all trades, the boar
member in twenty companies, the con
troler of none. l am in the library
manufacturing business and beg to D
allowed to concentrate my time upon
until it is filled. This is not charity
this is not philanthropy; it Is the peo
pie helping themselves by taxing them
selves
After expressing the belief in tn
good motives of people who gave 10
, charity he said that most of 1t was
. mere pruning of the branches OF tn
Jrpas tree. We must get to the root
of the poverty. the misery and tn
crime which still darken human societ!
but which, let us be grateful, becom
less and less under the great law
| evolution"
Irpon the conclusion of the dedicatio
ceremonies the library was thrown ope
to the public and thousands of peopI
| passed through it during the atternoo
{ and evening.