Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-02-01
what's sance for the Goose is sauce
for the Gander.

The building at Dover Jointly owned oy
the State and Kent county, and occupied
BY the one as State House and the other
rs a Court House, is rather dilapidated
old structure, poorly arranged, and III
adapted to either Of the uses to which 1t Is
put. The Inconvenience Of the Court room
has led the local politicians and Others
about Dover to begin an agitation for a
rev building, and as the lrst step toward
this, It is proposed that bill shall be
passed by the present Legislature author
lEing the purchase Of Kent county's Inter-
sst in the old building by the State, which
,ould then, as the DslaledreaH suggests,
have the building properly subdiyided for
the accommodation Of legislators and the
State ofilcera, and give 1t properly i'm
oressive external appearance by " rough
casting the whole edldce."
II this nice little scheme for giving kent
countya nice little sum for very indefinite
right or interest in this dilapldated old
building should receive the sanction OF
the Legislature, II must be through the
votes Of considerable number OF Sussex
or New Castle members, or Of both, and
yet we are told that bill to let the people
of this county decide by their votes whether
Dr not they shall change their county seat
and erect new county buildings at their
own expense would be defeated by the
unanimous vote of the delegates from
Kent county. The Court accommodations
Of each county are VIGOROUSLY inadequate
and the following description by the Dela-
sareaa of the needs Of Kent in this matter
is equally applicable to New Castle county.
Il says;
The county needs a larger and better ar
ranged Court Room, and suitable and con
Yenient location would be found ON the lot
between the county Offices and the new jail,
| where "a commodious but cheap building
/ might be erected to the great advantage OF
the public, especially those who are obliged
| 10 attend court, who can scarcely nnd stand
| ing room IN the little close, unhealthy room,
! where lawyers Jurors. witnesses aud specta-
/ tors are all packed togethcrduring court IKE
herring in box, the air redolent with the
| smell Of tobacco, the dust from the floor, the
ldors Of all sorts Of persons and yitiated BY
/ repeated breathing. II Is enough 10 make
any one sick 20 remain in that room hall An
hour during the first days Of court when the
/ largest number Of persons are in attendance.
The Grand Jury should indict the room as a
| nuisance. and II we had a humanitarian soci-
| ETY. among US It wonld certainly labor for It's
! suppression on the ground of the inhumanity
| Of compelling three or four hundred persons
to dance attendance on the court and breathe
/ its then fetid, iever-hreeding atmosphere.
/ The judges and members Of the Bar even
| must suffer in csmmon with those whose ae-
lasNa 10
sche and nausea from confinement In that
| room. We write earnestly because we know
and feel that better accommodations for the
court are not only necessary but absolutely
demanded for the puolic convenience and
comfort.
II our own eounty's court room at New
Castle had sat for the picture il could not
have been more perfect, with only this
exception, that ours really has been In
dicted as a nuisance by our Grand Jury.
We think Kent ought 10 have new
court room. We think Dover stands In
need OF all purifying influences. Weshould
be willing that the State should even pur-
chase whatever legal right or title the
county of Kent may have in this State
Capital building, (theugh this city would
doubtless be willing to present the State a
better building, better located, for nothing)
but the Christian iule of doing IS
you would be done by does
not obtain in legislation, and If
Kent county Legislators decree that our
people shall suiIocate in their own Court
House. let no New Castle county repro
sentative raise voice or hand to prevent
the people Of Kent from enjoying a like
luxury. We can conceive OF no discipline
more likely 10 bring to them realizing
sense Of the position Of a people who, like
ouri. ara ruled by people at a distance
without any comprehension OF, or care fol
our local wants aud necessities.