THE COURIER.
I
J
fr. f
M
For only nine per cent of the chil
dren who enter tfie lower grades arc
graduated from the high school. If
the other ninety per cent leave the
schools withouo having learned the
rule of the medium of communi
cation between themselves and the
inhabitants of this part of the world,
there will be yet more confusion in
the transaction of business and in
tlie messages delivered and received.
When in doubt about the wording of
a letter to the woman ho loves, and
miles away from a grammar the sol
dier, the plainsman, the miner, the
sailor, graduated from the Lincoln
grades will hereafter have no prin
ciples imbedded or stored for use at
need. Ambiguity, the stumbling
block of the illiterate, may obscure
the meaning of the message this un
fortunate product of our system
wishes to send. Or the woman he
writes to, being perhaps educated
elsewhere, may have learned a re
spect for the English language and
be therefoie unwilling to unite her
self for life to one who cont'nually
breaks its laws. This ninety one per
cent is entitled to the best teachers
and the cream of available knowl
edge. Their fathers support the
schools. This is a case where the
majority should rule, but on the con
trary, for the sma'l minority which
attends the high school the grades
have always been sacrificed. A few
students of the principles of a re
public have begun to object to the
sacrifice. Their protests may be suc
cessful enough in time to warrant
the placing of the best teachers with
the highe-st salaries in the grades.
When that time arrives the little
pupl's may be taught English un
detiled by a teacher who has been
inspired by the glories of literature
and who is able to communicate her
enthusiasm to hundreds of children
whose understanding will there-after
respond to the masters of literature.
Suchteachejs are very rare, unfor
tunately for all of us who have been
to school or must still go. There is
no examination which can detect
them, but when found they should
be noted and placed where they can
do the most good.
From a Republican Standpoint.
The republican central committee
met in Lincoln this week to make ar
rangements for the meeting of the
republican state convention on the
Second of Mav. The situation is a
serious one. There is but one course
for the republican party 10 pursue,
and every conscientious and disin
terested republican knows it. First
as to the kind of man who shou'.d re
ceive nomination for governor. He
should be a man of spotless reputa
tion, and a man who has not been a
failure in his own business Second
ly a man's desire for the office can not
b2 considered at all. The state
convention should select a man who
can carry this state against the popu
lists, whose repeatedly demonstrat
ed strength indicates that only the
strongest and the most irreproacha
ble republican candidate has any
chance of election. Thirdly, as Ne
braska is an agricultural state, a
farmer, should receive the nomina
tion. A critical and unprejudiced
view' of the situation will suggest to
any discriminating politician that
only a farmer can secure a majority
of the votes for governor. Lastly,
the nominee must be a republican
without, not merely the stain of here
sy, but without the suspicion of here
sy. The republinans in the Kovem
ber election will need all the republi
can votes there are in the state. To
secure them the state convention will
have to exhibit a fastidiousness, it
has rarely shown. !No Bills, nor
Toms, no man who has wavered in
his allegiance, to the party that nomi
nates him can be elected. He may be
nominated and defeated, as Toms
and heretical republicans have been
nominated and defeated before.
It is very doubtful if a republican
legislature can be elected. Two Unit
ed States senators are to be chosen.
If the republican candinates are han
dicapped by the suspicion of a pledge
to the most corrupt of politicians, the
populists can elect almost any one.
The observations in regard to the
only sort of governor the republicans
can elect apply with the s,ame force to
the legislators and to all the state
ofllcers. Only republicans of excep
tional ability, and unquestionable
identification with the republican
party can be elected. The convention
should exclude every one from con
sideration who has not fought the
battles of the republicans, who has
not represented the party in conven
tions,and whose counsel has not been
proved wise. Not for a fraction of a
moment should any candidate for any
office be considered who has even
been charged with an attempt to se
cure an office by promises, either writ
ten or verba', to support the prin
ciples or measures of the populists or
any combination of parties opposed
to the republican party. The repub
lican party can stand defeat, but it
cannot and it never will make a
standard bearer of any man whose de
sire for office was so irresistb!e that it
induced him to go into a combination
with the fusionists when defeated by
republican votes. A man who agrees
to deny every principle of the party
from whom he has been seeking an
election, in consideration of receiv
ing the office from the hands of the
opposite party is not the man who
should ever again receive favors from
the republican party.
The Library.
851 Tremost Buildi.ng,
Bostox, Mass., February 3, 1900.
Editor Courier:
I have just read in The Courier of last
week, with a great deal of interest, some
" observations "' on " The Library Site "
and am delighted with the idea. It
Eeems to me that it must commend itself
to the good sens of the library board
and to the citizens generally, and I hope
it may be adop'ed, for I hatdly think
anything better or so good can be
suggested.
Idon'texpect ever to see the com
pleted library building, but it will be a
personal gratification to me to know
that such a building is erected in a suit
ably commanJing location, beautiful in
style and architecture, well stocked and
conducted, and in a healthy, growing
condition.
I doubt if you know, what I am sure
it will be of interest to you to know,
that the Lincoln public library had its
inception or origin in jour mother's
house.
It was on a morning in November,
1875, that, sitting at the breakfast table,
the conversation turned upon books,
good reading, libraries, etc., when Mrs.
Parks remarked, "Why can't we have a
library here in Lincoln ? " to which I
made reply, " We can and, what is more,
we will."
The words were spoken without fore
thought, on the impulse of the xoment,
but we had waked up the subject. I
went down town directly and called on
Mr. Gere, talked library, reading room,
books, periodicals, papers, etc., and as a
result in the next issue of the Journal
appeared a call for a meeting of citizens
to consider a proposition to establish a
public library and recdidg room.
The meeting was held on the evening
of November 16, 1875. in the little "white
school house," northeast corner Eleventh
and Q streets, and was attended by
about forty persons. I have forgotten
who was called to the chair, but I know
that E. J. Cartlidge acted as clerk, and
I have now his pencil notes of the meet
ing made at the time.
The room was fitted with small desks
and little chairs for primary pupils, and
a few tallow candlco gave dim light for
the hour; so we accommodated our
selves, sitting or standing, as beat we
could, but the matter was mado the
subject of lively and interesting discus
sion. The result was that it was de
cided to hold another meeting in the
Academy of Music. The meeting was
held there on the evening of "Wednes
day, December 8:b, and a report of it
appeared in the Journal of the 0th, a
copy of which, with others of Decem
ber 10th, Docember 12th, 1875, and Jan
uary 27. 18761 shall mail to you.
Another enthusiastic meeting was held
there the next Saturday evening, De
cember 11th, and still another at a later
date, but the Journal containing a re
port of it I fail to find.
At this lattjr meeting an organization
was completed, officers were chosen, a
constitution wa- adopted and plans were
laid and committees appointed for ob
taining books, periodicals, papers, etc.,
and securing rooms.
It will be of personal interest to you
to know of the active part taken by Mr.
Harwood, and that he was the first pres
ident of the Library association, and, an
I ktiow, gave much time and attention
to its establishment and maintenance.
A Lecture association which had,
during two winters, provided a course
of lectures, from which they had hoped
to realize some profit, with which they
might purchase a few books for a small
reading room, which thp ladies had
Btarttd on Eleventh street, had failed,
and so they joined heartily in tie new
enterprise ; and the ladies who had
struggled hard but failed to secure pa
pers and periodicals sufficient to main
tain their little reading room, gave their
small stock of chairb and tables to the
new one.
Mrs. Ada Van Pelt (now living at
Oakland, California,) was the first libra
rian. Rooms were secured over McCon
nell's store on O street. Mrs. Van Pelt
took lodgings on the same floor and de
voted her time and attention most assid
uously to the interests of the associ
ation at twenty -five dollars per month.
Mr. Franklin, a big, stout man, took
her in his buggy and drove about to the
residence of citizens, stopping here and
there, while she got out and, on crutches,
went in to solicit books and subscrip
tions. About four hundred volumes were
secured ; Mr. "Walton loaned bis father's
library of about two hundred and titty
volumes, largely theological books for
he was a clergy man and having occasion
to visit Boston about that time, I ob
tained from friends here about two hun
dred volumes and a collection of about
twenty-five tine large photos, which,
until the recent fire, graced the walls
o.' the rooms.
The library was started, as you will
understand, by an association of citizens.
There were nine life members at twen
five dollars each, and annual members
paid five dollars each, but I do not re
member how many were secured.
Tne legislature had passed an act
authorizing cities of the first and second
class to establish public libraries. Later,
alter considerable effort, the city of Lin
coln passed an ordinance establishing a
public library, but made no appropri
ation for books, periodicals and papers.
or for its maintenai.ee. So the Library
association loaned to the city its books,
etc., equipment and all, and paid cur
rent expenses until in process of time a
levy was made, and it has since been
provided for in the sarao manner as
other city institutions.
A "great interest attaches to the be
ginning of things,' I have thought, now
that library matters nro on the enrpot,
porhaps you might like to make up u
little story embodying ho mo of the facts
of those early days, and so I shall mnil
to you tho copies of the Journal before
referred to for your information.
It is perhaps doubtful it any ono bus
preserved copies of these papers, and us
they havo a historical value. ! should
like to ha"o you oither return them to
me or Bend them to Miss Dennis, with
tta suggestion that they bo preserved in
the archives of the library and I guess
this latter course would be preferable.
In November, 1898, 1 wrote and sunt
to Miss Dennis, for preservation, a brief
history of " the beginning of things."
accompanied by duplicate copies of the
same papers which I sond to you, and I
think the miBsing one alno, but they
were probably all destroyed in the tire.
I think it quite likely that Mr. Carnegie
would be interested to see the old papers,
and possibly he may when, next year,
he shall visit Lincoln to inspect the
beautiful library building "at tlje inter
section of Eleventh and J streets." Very
truly yours, T. II. Leavitt.
Kipling to Julia Marlowr.
Rudyard Kipling sent as a Christmas
present to Julia Marlowe a copy of bis
latest book, 'The Day's Work," with
this verse in autograph on the flyleaf:
hen skits are gray instead ot blue,
With clouds that come to dishearten ;
When things go wrong as they sometimes do,
In life's little kindergarten;
I beg you, my child, don't weep and wail,
And don't, don't take to tippling;
But cheer your soul with a little tale
Bv Neighbor Rudyard Kipling.
"Darn progress, anyhow," growled
Father Time; 8 I'm doing my level best,
same as usual, to leave my traces on tho
faces of humanity, but between com
plexion experts and dermatologists I
haven't a ghost of a Bhow ! " Town
Topic3.
Do you think he is sincere in his at
tentions ?
I do. I have bad lot9 of men make
love to me, but he is the biggest fool
yet. Town Topics.
He How few people we meet who
really know anything.
She I was just thinking of that when
you came in. Town Topics.
Reporter Mr. Greatman refuses to
give his views.
Editor Then write a two-column
article attributing your own views to
him. We will then get his views when
he repudiates your article. Town
Topics.
J. R HARRIS,
No. I, Board of Trade,
CHICAGO.
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