846 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



easy answer. Referring to the position 

 taken by Mr, Spencer that justice should, 

 but that beneficence should not, be en- 

 forced, he asks why this should be, if 

 the warrant for beneficence equally with 

 that for justice lies, as Mr. Spencer 

 seems to admit, in the public good. The 

 answer we conceive is this : that while 

 beneficence, wisely practiced, is a pub- 

 lic benefit, the enforcing of it would 

 not be a public benefit, inasmuch as it 

 would tend to kill the sentiment itself. 

 If, for example, the moment a beneficent 

 action became possible for us some 

 power should seize us and force us to a 

 performance of the action, we can hard- 

 ly imagine any other result than that 

 the very instinct of beneficence would 

 die out. Another answer is that where- 

 as justice is esseotially of the nature of 

 non-interference, beneficence is essen- 

 tially of the nature of interference. 

 The motto of the one is "Hands off! " 

 For the otiier we would have to coin 

 the motto " Hands on ! " Now, the 

 difference between establishing in gov- 

 ernment the principle of "Hands off! " 

 and establishing that of " Hands on I " 

 is obvious. The former is not only 

 workable, but is the necessary condition 

 of all free individual effort; the latter is 

 unworkable in any consistent manner, 

 from its absolutely indefinite and un- 

 limited character. If beneficence is to 

 be enforced, where are we to begin and 

 where can we possibly end? Again, 

 imagine the effect on weak individuals of 

 knowing that beneficence toward them 

 will be enforced. Wliat interest have 

 they henceforth in ceasing to be weak? 

 Finally, beneficence administered by the 

 state is not beneficence in the true 

 sense, and can have none of the effects 

 of true beneficence; for the state can 

 only properly take what it has a right 

 to take and give what it has a right to 

 give, and the beneficiaries in the case 

 supposed would be quick to draw the 

 inference that they were getting no 

 more than their due. Thus would the 

 limits of justice be obscured and social 



stability endangered. On many grounds, 

 therefore, we think the distinction Mr. 

 Spencer draws a sound one. 



POINTS m LIBRARY MANAGEMENT. 



The report of the Library Commit- 

 tee of the Public Library of Cleveland, 

 Ohio, for the year ended August 31st 

 last, has come into our hands. Two re- 

 marks made in it have arrested our at- 

 tention. One is to the effect that "it 

 is a singular and deplorable fact that, of 

 all the money so lavishly expended by 

 the many rich men and women of Cleve- 

 land in various benevolent and charita- 

 ble enterprises, not one cent has ever 

 been given either toward the erection of 

 a library building or to help to sujiport 

 the library." Elsewhere it is stated that 

 "our library has never had the use of 

 any money except such as came by taxa- 

 tion." 



Well, whether or not there is any- 

 thing "deplorable" in this, we can not 

 say that we find the fact at all "singu- 

 lar." Taxation and benevolence are two 

 things that do not naturally mingle. The 

 Cleveland Public Library seems to have 

 been in operation since 18C9, and it has 

 doubtless come to be looked upon as 

 a department of the city government. 

 Had taxation not been resorted to for 

 the formation of a library, there is no 

 knowing what private beneficence might 

 not have done ere this. When the State 

 takes up a function, it is a kind of hint 

 to private enterprise to drop it. Why 

 should a private individual subsidize a 

 tax-supported library any more than a 

 tax-supported post office ? 



The other remark above referred to 

 is that " the plan of permitting free ac- 

 cess of patrons to the shelves, adopted 

 some time since with some misgivings, 

 continues to give increased satisfaction 

 to those using the library. . . . Not 

 only," the report continues, "has this 

 new method given great satisfaction to 

 those desiring and drawing books from 

 the library, but it has also enabled us to 



