Daily Republican., 1879-06-17
a NOTE.
The C.u,t House Architect.

The Csurt House Architect.
After all it seems that Mr.. L. l.. Rice
Jr., has not been chosen architect and
su uo-rint,nien of :he new county build
ing ,oa to be erected. Mr.. Ries's plan
was the bsst presented out OF six con
testants, i've II thea the best in the
city of Phla iAlphia. The building
committee of the Levy Court were not
more than twenty minutes in selecting
Mr.. Rioe's plan as the one that came
the nearest their ideas OF model
court house, and so pleased were they
with it that the chairman, Mr.. A IL.
Silver, wrote letter to Mr.. Rice con
graduating him Oh his success in win
ming the premium of $50 for the best
plan, and set apart a certain day when
they would meet Mr.. Rice in his Office,
pay lin the premium and consult with
him in resarl to be nding seme other
advantages with his plaa, and to make
ARRANGEMENTS for carrying on the work.
Mr.. Ric. naturally thought that alter
all this there could be no doubt of his
sale ion as the supsrin tending archi-
t.ot, and i. is likely that anybody else
would have thought SO too. The com
m ttee waited III on Mr.. R., at the time
spe ;ii.d, paid him tha $50 premium,
90 lsultt,l about proposals for the erec-
tim OF tn building, about the details
Of Mr.. r.R,crs pan which was accepted
with such great hnsnimity and dispatch,
m had general conversation about
ii, details OF the work, and left Mr..
Ri,e with no other idea than
tha1 IS his plan was the best offered he
wa to be the experimenting architect.
H, wa, inf rmsi tia: the Levy Court
We aid ns It nsxt Thursday, at which
time tb actions of the committee would
be subm;tts | t. that body. So far
ev .rytlins Lad progressed favoratly
for Mr.. Rice, and that gentleman was
daily receiving congratulations for his
success, and tbs citizens without ex-
e.ption were gisd that the building of
the new Court House was to be eiitrls
ted to Win d It tJ1iiar. But there
seems after all t, hay. been an irsur-
mountable harri.r il :he way OF the
superintendency Of the work being
given to Mr.. Rice. Tru-, his plans are
the best by far, he is a young energetic
rising architect, and it is equally true
tlat h. is a native born DelawareaD,
b)rn III the very city where the propos-
. nsw county building were to stand as
. monument of his artistic ingenuity
but there was one thing lacking in the
ejes of the Democratic building commit,
tes Of the unan imously Democratic
Levy Court. Mr.. Rice happens to
be a Republican. We wont say
positively that this is the reason
why the committee have so suddenly
chan 3ei their minds, and have ap-
pointed Mr.. anller, "a Phila1elphian,
the supsr:nty ndn: architect, a man
who perhaps S very good mechanic
but having no other interest in Will
ming on than to come down and gobble
up the sup.rints ling Of the now Court
House, and take The money to Philadel-
phia and ap.nl it. We DO not like to
think that partisan politics has so far
controlled the building corlmittee of
the Levy Court that they would delhi
--raie..y .:.!e.y snub Mr.. Rice as they have
done, siApy because he is Republi-
can, and yet from the present outlook
we can see NO other reason. There was
no fault foIni with his plan, but on
the contrary the committee were but
few minutes in singing it out as the
very best presented from amongst six,
FIVE of them being from experienced
Philadelphia architects. So satisfactory
was Mr.. Rice's plan that Mr.. Chandler
will nave the empty honor Of erecting
the building after the plan Of sue
cesstui competing architect. If politics
has controlled in tn. mater then it is
unforunate to Mr.. Rice that he is a
Republican, and doubly unfortunate
to the county Of New Castle and es-
pecialIy to the city of Wilmington,
that the Levy Court is Democratic
Ii hr. Ric, mas been thrown
aside on account Of Ais political opin-
ions, it is warning beforehand that
no Republicans ned apply for work On
the new Court House. Their share will
bs to pay three fourths of the tax 8
AMI let the Democrats do all the wo, k
and spend all the money. 1t may be .
lit premature yet, but it requires a
very small stretch OF the imagination
to see the forming Of a little Democratic
ring, which must grow larger and
larger as the work progresses and new
developments are made. We hope after
all that it is not politics that ac.uates
the building committee, and if it is not
at the meeting Of the Levy Court on
Thursday next, the sup rintending OF
the erection of the new Court House