Evening star., 1935-06-30


Year 1910" 1t is undamaged by fire
and its green morocco label, lettered
in gold on the front cover. President
of the u States" is intact.
1t was the indignation felt by him
at the terrible loss that decided
Thomas Jefferson to sell his library to
the national government at far less
than its value. He wrote Congress
man Samuel H. Smith the following
letter:
You know my collection. its con-
dition and extent. | have been fifty
years making it. and have spared no
pains, opportunity or expense. to
make it what it is. While residing in
Paris. l devoted every afternoon |
was disengaged. for summer or two,
in examining all the principal book
stores. turning over every book with
my own hand. and putting by every
thing which related to America. and,
indeed, whatever is rare and valuable
III every SCiciCS.
Needless to say. when the project
of the sale of Jefferson's library to the
government was first broached, it
created an uproar. The Washington
correspondent of The Boston Gazette"
wrote, The grand library of Mr..
Jefferson will undoubtedly be pur-
chased with all its finery and philo-
sophical nonsense" Some of the men,
bers of Congress regarded the books
as, Immoral, indecent. irreligious,
and generally revolutionary" The
measure, however. was passed and the
government secured Jefferson's library
for the sum of $23, $50. probably one
quarter of what it was worth even
then.
This purchase had the support of
the people, although it caused so much
trouble in Congress. 'Niles's Weekly
Register" December 81, 1914. OBJ
served, 1T is strange that the rancor
of the party should penetrate even
the temple of science, and that an
opposition was made to the purchase
of collection that any monarch in
Europe would be proud to own. For
such library the British Parliament
would have given f5O.0OO."
In 1895 the sum of $1.929,745 was
appropriated for the Congressional
Library and Copyright Offices. Of this
amount only Sl5O.OOO, together with
$99, $50 for books for the adult blind.
was earmarked for the purchase of
books for the increase of the Library.
On the other hand the huge sum of
$43,OOO,OOO has been appropriated
for two airplane carriers, which will
be out of date in less than a decade.
whilst the books and manuscripts will
be at the service of the people for all
time.
The first Librarian of Congress was
John Beckley, the clerk of the House
of Representatives, who received the
appointment in 1902. Since then only
seven men have held this important
Office, nearly all scholars of distinc-
ton, but none OF whom. in spite of
their interest and activities on behalf
of the library. was able to obtain from
Congress suitable appropriations for
the purchase of outstanding books and
manuscripts. or even the memorials of
our country's history.
Since the founding of this Library
more than century and half ago,
only one large appropriation for its
increase has been made, and this as
recently as 1881 during the admins
tration of Herbert Hoover, when
ST, 500, 900 was voted for the purchase
of a collection of Incunabula books
printed in Europe before 1900.
In the course of l3O years a few
important purchases have naturally
been made by Congress, such as the
Peter Force Papers and the Benjamin
Franklin books. autograph letters and
documents, but for country of our
wealth the money so expended has
been meagre to say the least!