Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-12-06
CLARK AND THE LIBRARY
EDTTOR EVENING NEWS:

ElDIIOtS Il V EL4NlANO 10
The TRADE against Alderman Clark
printed in your editorial columns OF
the 3rd inst. could only emanate
from an ignorant, narrow, splenetic
| and yindictive mind, influenced by
mean and narrow surroundings and
| tends moro to the discredit of the
| writer than it does to the subject oi
his scurrilous attack.
1t is true tina Mr.. Clark is not n
graduate Of any great university,
neither has the title of Doctor OF
Philosophy or Doctor of Laws, or
Bachelor of Arts ver been conferred
upon him by any great institution of
learning, but the lack of those titles
does not prevent him from being a
useful member Of society. The writ
er seems to hold q man Of Mr..
Clark's "calibre' N contempt, al
though he doesn't tell us if he means
his physical, mental or political cali
bre (the use Of adjectiveS with the
writer seems to be superhuous). Mr..
Clark does not claim or pose to be
anything but what he Is, an intelli-
gent working man possessed Of that
broad, manly, natural intelligence
peculiar to the race from which he
sprang, and who by his industry
earned q competence which enables
him now to devote considerable of
his time, experience and ability to
the interest of his fellow-taxpayers.
1t was in the performance of this
duty that he incurred the splenetic
enmity of the writer aforesaid, SIM
ply because he desired, in the inter-
ests of the taxpayers, to prevent the
unnecessary expenditure Of public
money by the Library Board who, it
has been said. Illegally exceeded their
appropriation.
AS to the library itself, the writer
hereof has been a regular patron OF
that institution since its foundation
and is pretty we'll ~conversant with
I the character of the literature which
it contains, thirty or forty per cent
is simply trash-a lot of old volumes
collected Unfortunately years be
fore the present library was built anC
of no value whatever for educationa
purposes and whose authors are nov
never heard of.
Several years back Mr.. j. w. Beck
man, when he was appointed
library trustee, told this writer tina
| ms IiISL uuIy WOulu NC " L1dhC
bonfire of all the literary trash whic'
numbered Its shelves and make ROOF
for standard history, science. biogra
ply. travel, poetry, the classics, an
high grade fiction by standard au
thors, books of references, dictiona
ries, etc, etc, everything whic
would nave a tendency to cultivat
the mind and expand the inteilec
. especially that of the writer of tn
= article referred to, who seems to /
more in need of it than Alderma
. Clark.
AS for the men who compose IL
Library Board they are, 1 presum
business men and 1 imagine Conve
SAINT with ledgers, day-bOoks. bills
x lading, balance sheets. etc, but tho
necessary business qualifications {
not imply they T good judges
what constitutes reliable standa
literature to promote hat ''cultu
and refinement which the writ
, says is lacking in the alderma
There are irrevelent people who s.
4 that a classical work or a gre
painting is to them simply mercha
3 disc.
81 A few months ago I desired a DO.
!, on Irish history. In examining t
II library shelves for the book desir
to my great surprise and disappoiI
ment-and indignation-I discover
the fact that those shelves are,
cept for a few volumes, and tho
l. mostly by English authors. bare
n Irish literature. I wondered W
- this was so. or do the Irish citize
y pay any taxes, or was It the result
IS a ~preconceived plan to keep the tru
IF of Irish history from reaching t
public? Have all the library boar
up to the present time been inf
enced by race prejudice? 1t Is rea
ze too bad hat those fellows should
a so narrow, instead of possess
more of the real American spirit.
t. coming in close contact with tn
Id one wonders what has become of
culture and refinement" their CT
al nection with the library IS suppo'
r to give them.
Let me say in conclusion that
other members of the alderma
board were possessed of the ma
courage of Alderman Clark to sta
s. up for the interests OF the taxpay
as he does. the public at large wo
be gamers thereby. 1t Is to be
in GREETED hat we have not more of
- "calfbre" in that body, oven II 4
would lack the culture and ref
ment' monopolixed by the trust
n of the Public Library.
,ar JOHN MANNION.
346 Market ST., Cit,
December 4, 1919.