ur children and our children's children in the path of
intelligence and virtue, till the sun himself shall fall from the
heavens.

THE NEW YORK FREE CIRCULATING LIBRARY

ADDRESS IN ITS FAVOR AT A PUBLIC MEETING

President Cleveland made this address on March 6, 1890,
while a resident of New York City in the interval between
his two presidential terms, at a meeting, at Chickering
Hall, called for the purpose of directing attention to the
work of the struggling Free Circulating Library and if
possible to raise funds for its support, which was only
partially insured by the City. Owing to increase in both
public and private contributions this library was enabled to
make rapid growth in the years immediately following until
in 1901, when it was merged in the Circulation Department of
the New York Public Library, it was operating eleven
branches with a circulation of over 600,000. This
institution was the pioneer of the popular, as distinguished
from the scholarly, library idea in New York.

[Stephen] Grover Cleveland was born in Caldwell, N.J.,
March 18, 1837, the fifth son of a Presbyterian clergyman.
He received a common-school education and after his father's
death went in 1855 to live with an uncle in Buffalo, N.Y. He
was admitted to the bar there in 1859, was assistant
district attorney in 1863-66, sheriff in 1871-74 and mayor
in 1882. In the latter year he was elected Governor of New
York and in 1884 President of the United States. He was an
unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1888, but was
elected again in 1892. He died in Princeton, N.J., where he
had resided since his last presidential term, on June 24,
1908.

The words I shall speak on this occasion I intend rather as a pledge of
my adherance to the cause in which you are enlisted than an attempt to
say anything new or instructive. I gladly join with the enthusiasm of a
new convert in the felicitations of those who have done noble and
effective work in the establishment and maintenance in our city of a
free circulating library, and it seems to me they have abundant cause
for congratulation in review of the good which has already been
accomplished through their efforts and in the contemplation of the
further usefulness which awaits their continued endeavor.

In every enlightened country the value of popular education is fully
recognized, not