Carnegie On Giving

CARNEGIE ON GIVING
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Philanthropist Considers It a Real Task.
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BUSINESS EASY IN COMPARISON
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Mere Holiday Making Contrasted With Present Work, He Said In a Speech at Dedication of Library Given to Washington – Prefers Not to Be Distracted by Hearing of Humanity’s Woes and Needs.

With President Roosevelt and many public men present, the new public library, Andrew Carnegie’s gift to Washington, has just been formally dedicated, says the New York World. The house of representatives adjourned in order that its members might witness the dedication.

Perhaps happiest of all was Mr. Carnegie himself, who came over to make the principal speech at the dedicatory exercises and to see for the first time the magnificent building.

Mr. Carnegie expressed himself as greatly pleased with the construction and arrangement of the building, declaring that it was one of the best he had seen.

“It was my desire not to be present,” he said, “but the request of those who have labored so long and successfully to establish this library could not, and I concluded should not, be resisted. It is so little to give money to a good cause, and there an end; so grand to give thought and time. The difference should always be accentuated between the man who merely gives of his surplus and him who gives of himself.

“I shall not descant upon the advantages of a free library, but this seems an opportune occasion to explain just what the free library business means upon which I have embarked.

“Seven hundred library buildings have been given chiefly within the last two years, most of which are built or under construction. During July last 276 applications for library buildings were received from various parts of the English speaking world, all of which were or are being dealt with. Upon arrival in New York last month we found over 450 additional applications from the United States and Canada.

"We have today 385 new applications on hand. Thus there are under consideration today more than 800 applications, the great majority of which will no doubt be given.

"As long as communities are willing, if you are in Washington, to maintain a library from the proceeds of taxation as part of the educational system, so long as I intend to labor in that vineyard, keeping myself free as possible from hearing of the woe and wants of humanity in general, to which, if I listened, I would soon become unfit for my special work, which, I think, is best of all.

"This is not charity, this is not philanthropy – It is the people themselves helping themselves by taxing themselves. They owe no man anything of moment.

"The submerged tenth, which in the census we designate as delinquent, do not appear to be properly the objects of private beneficence. They should be the care of the state. The habitual criminal, drinker, loafer, needing the necessaries of human life should be cared for, being human, by the state, town or community as a whole, and some day when we have gone further in the path of general civilization, though these will still be clothed, fed, housed. nursed, educated and reformed as far as possible, they will be isolated from their fellows as unworthy to wear the revered name of father or the holier name of mother.

"I rejoice for my part that I have found a field which still occupies my thought and time and keep me, although retired from business, as busy a man, I think, as ever I was in business, which always was more of a recreation than a burden. It was easy compared with the life I now lead – mere holiday making in comparison. Verily, the way of the distributer is hard.

"I dread the coming of the day when I shall have to look out for new fields for distribution, for we have now systematized library giving. It will be a great plunge. Between 400 and 500 letters a day now reach my secretaries, and most of them, also promptly reach the waste baskets.

"A man who has surplus wealth and escapes making a fool of himself once a week or so in view of all the temptations he has to resist and all the foolish things he is urged to do, should be considered above the average in wisdom."

In his speech President Roosevelt said that Mr. Carnegie's gift was the best possible method of helping people to educate themselves.