ever the people desire, and whatever will, in their
judgment, conduce to the general welfare, is a legitimate subject for
governmental action. "The only orthodox object of the institution of
government," says Mr. Jefferson, "is to secure the greatest degree of
happiness possible to the general mass of those associated under it."
Herbert Spencer wrote his "Social Statics" before the British Parliament
passed an act for the support of public libraries. Mr. Ewart's bill was
then before Parliament; and Mr. Spencer, in that work, took occasion to
fling a sneer at it. In the preface of his American edition, written in
1864, he states, without remodelling the text, that "the work does not
accurately represent his present opinions."

3. The third and last class of objections to public libraries to which
I shall direct your attention relates to the kind and quality of books
circulated. These objections, which are usually made by educated and
scholarly persons, are based on an entire misconception of the facts in
the case. The objectors do not divest themselves of the old idea that
libraries are established for the exclusive benefit of scholars; whereas
the purpose of these is to furnish reading for all classes in the
community. On no other principle would a general tax for their support
be justifiable. The masses of a community have very little of literary
and scholarly culture. They need more of this culture, and the purpose
of the library is to develop and increase it. This is done by placing in
their hands such books as they can read with pleasure and appreciate,
and by stimulating them to acquire the _habit_ of reading. We must first
interest the reader before we can educate him; and, to this end, must
commence at his own standard of intelligence. The scholar, in his pride
of intellect, forgets the progressive steps he took in his own mental
development--the stories read to him in the nursery, the boy's book of
adventure in which he revelled with delight, and the sentimental novel
over which he shed tears in his youth. Our objector supposes that the
masses will read books of his standard if they were not supplied with
the books to which he objects; but he is mistaken. Shut up to this
choice, they will read no books. When the habit of reading is once
acquired, the reader's taste, and hence the quality of his reading,
progressively improve.

The standard histories, technical works of science, and even
Shakespeare's plays and