128 The Library. Having thus briefly outlined the history of this movement, I now beg respectfully to deal with the principal grounds of object - tion urged against it. Among the objections urged against this measure was that we ought to cater for all classes of ratepayers, and that the betting and sporting class had as much right to consideration as others. To that argument I would answer that no public library, so far as I am aware, has ever attempted to cater for this class. We cater for architects and builders by taking the Building News or the Builder, for artists by providing the art magazines, and for other classes by the English Mechanic, the Engineer, the Garden, the Contract Journal, the Phonetic Journal, the Musical Times, &c., &c., but I do not know a free library where the Sporting Chronicle is taken, or other papers of that class with which I am not suffi- ciently acquainted to recount their titles. If the argument with which I am dealing be sound, some, at least of these founts of know- ledge should be provided for such readers as may care for them. Since, therefore, no serious attempt has been made to cater for this class, the objection I have quoted falls to the ground. We are told, also, that we have no right to deface the news- papers, which are public property. But we do. Every library is, unfortunately, under the necessity of defacing, to some extent, even valuable books, on account of the weakness to which even the best human nature is liable. We impress our library stamps on choice plates and on the ample margins of books which, if they were our own, we should shudder to commit such sacrilege upon. And if it be necessary to perform one act of defacement for the protection of library property, surely it is also justifi- able to perform another for the protection of the readers. We have had that venerable article of debate, the thin end of the wedge, introduced into this controversy ; and have been told, that if this method of defacing portions of our newspapers is sanctioned, it will be carried to further lengths ; and in libraries under the dominance of the Unionist Party, the librarian will be called upon to carefully erase the name of Gladstone wherever it occurs in periodical literature, and where Gladstonian Liberals rule the roost all references to the past history of certain individuals, and the former utterances of a leading statesman shall pass under the blacking-brush before the newspapers find their way to the stands or tables. But an examination of the lists of newspapers taken, or of the books provided in our libraries, is a sufficient answer to that
