The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-19

1 public library in small city who
wrote to ask me to agree with him that
the New Republic ought to be barred out
Of that library and serve it right got no
for an answer.
This was not because felt it my duty
to champion the cause Of the NeaD Repub-
lie. 1t was for a more fundamental rea-
son, namely, that libraries must stand up
for the cause upon which republics, new
and old, and democracies generally, are
founded
In conferences of library workers them
selves this cause is seen to need constant
and resolute defenders. Tsn't there some
way" recently asked an indignant sup
porter Of the principle Of Permitting the
People to Think, "by which standard Of
book selection can be forced on these
peoplef
II heard one of them just now at a
conference on fiction selection saying that
she had excluded story because it makes
fun of an imaginary minister Of her own
persuasion"
One Of the leaders Of library institutes
in this State last summer managed to
counteract the influences of drowsy af-
ternoon by introducing the prickly ques-
ton whether library patrons should have
access to reading on the red side OF Boil
shevism. Spargo, he reminded them, mer-
cilessly exposes it. Reed defends it. The
final vote was significant. The women
with hardly an exception would exclude
Reed. The men, valiant minority Oh
two, unanimously voted to let him inf
the funds would permit.
Consider the fact that nearly all public
libraries are guarded and guided by good
women who have never had any extensive
contact with the world. Consider the IN
stance, recently cited, of musty shelf OF
theology, a committee appointed to weed
out the defunct and undesirable books
thereon, and the net result, the wedding
out Of Newman's Apologize, because 1t
showed how Newman quit being Protes-
tant.
1t is reasonable to suppose that the
same vigilant censor would have thrown
out any hymnal containing Lead, Kindly
Light, written by the same author on the
same occasion.
In some quarters there has been no
small to do about Gen. LudendorRs forth
coming book, but the only remaining bar
rier at present seems to be the price, which
will exclude it from all but the more at
fluent libraries.
The question of the indignant borrower
who was specializing in the fragrant rev.
Citations of NJ. lola, 'Is there censorship
in this ibrary7" is, of course, foolish
question. No one can select books with
out exercising censorship. The library, it
is generally held, must represent the main
portion of the public which it serves. 1t
must, on this theory, avoid prudishness
and stodgy conservatism on the one hand
and most of the vagaries Of the long
haired men and the short haired women on
the other.
In selecting fiction naturally the choice
must oftenest be made, for the simple rea-
son that in fiction sex problems inces-
sanity find expression. If the good old
rule, practised not ten years ago In a
library in large city, Of withdrawing
from circulation any story to which any
reader found objection, were still in force
in that library, short indeed would be the
shrift of John Galsworthy's SAINTS Prog
ress, for a copy of this book was returned
the other day by conscientious guardian
of public morals with the information
that she had read it very thoroughly and
found it far too vile for any other Dor
rover.
We are getting dangerously near the
fascinating topic of Botany Bay, that
locked harbor to which dangerous library
hooks are banished, and of the crimes for