is perhaps the most marked feature
of educational development during the past twenty-five years; for within
that brief period the first of them was opened to the public.

My subject, as announced in the programme, requires me to speak of
popular objections; yet I must confess that popular appreciation of
these institutions, where they have been established, would have
furnished a more attractive theme. As their foundation involves
taxation, that prolific source of political controversy, it is somewhat
remarkable that in the eleven States of our Union where public-library
statutes have been enacted, so little public discussion has occurred,
and so few objections have been offered. I have heard of no instance
where such a bill was proposed in a State legislature and was defeated.
That all the Northern States, where general education and the
common-school system are established, have not by legislation provided
also for the public library--the natural ally and supplement of that
system--is doubtless owing to the fact that the people have not asked
for such legislation. The unanimity of the vote by which towns have
accepted taxation for the support of public libraries is significant.
The Commissioner of Education at Washington recently made inquiries on
this point, and received replies from 37 towns and cities. In 32 of
these the vote was unanimous; in 5 there was a divided sentiment, but
the vote was 1730 in favor to 515 against taxation. The vote of the
rate-payers in some English towns and cities where free libraries have
been established was as follows:

Ayes. Noes.

Manchester 3962 40
Winchester 337 13
Bolton 662 55
Cambridge 873 78
Oxford 596 72
Sheffield 838 232
Kidderminster 108 11
Blackburn 1700 2
Dundee, no dissentient.

By the latest statistics of the Bureau of Education, it appears that
there are 188 public libraries in eleven of the United States. Of these
five are Eastern States--Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts
and Connecticut; five are Western States--Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Wisconsin, and Iowa: and one is a Southern State--Texas. Eight of these
States have passed public-library statutes within the past ten years. In
the number of libraries the States rank as follows: Massachusetts, 127;