Rock Island Argus., 1895-10-01
STONE Is LAID.
Confirmed from Thi;d fage.) }

tice and injustice, poverty and
wealth, anxiety and exultation, hope
and fear. The criminal records dis
closing 4,554 cases tell US q tale OF
injustice, hate, malice. revenge.
cSime in all its hideous forms. from
the most trivial offsnses to robbery.
rape and murder. If it's walls could
reverberate the echoes it has heard
md flash upon our vision the sights
it has scen,- what sights we would
behold, what sounds we would hear
We would see every phase of human
character. good and bad; we would
witness the play of every emotion o!
the human mind and heart. We
would see the joyous. hopeful bride;
The grief-stricken mother: we would
see the anxious uplifted faces as the!
,crutinized the jury, or waited With
,bated breath for the decision of tn.
Judge. We would hear the exultau,
laugh of the victor, and the heart
broken sobs of the convicted crimi
lal, his relatives ana friends. We
| would see many 4 fierce combat be
tween giants at the bar-we would
be startled at their audacity: VT
would wonder at their display of
'arnestness and pass on; We would
)e thrilled by their eloquence as
they pleaded for the property. lib
,rty and lives of their clients: We
would anxiously await the verdict
IF the jury and at last we would
listen to the solemn sentence of thu
Upright Judge. Temple of justice,
indeed, look upon the stately old
pile with reverence for its history.
md upon this site as hallowed
| ground, hallowed by nearly half q
century's administration OF justice. >
Time for the New.
| "But, grand though it was in its
lay, and adequate as it was for the
purposes for which erected, it has
long been outstripped by the needs
If the county, by the progress and
development of the latter half of the
18th century. Supplemented by the
building Of what is called the jail
building in 1867 at n ccst of about
$50, 900, and later by the erection OF
the clerks building on the other cor
|
it has long been considered made
1uate to the county's needs, as well
as standing rebuke to our public
pride and public spirit. which are
low. and always have been. a true
index to the character, civilization
and progressiveness of any people. "
Mr.. Searle reviewed the increase in
population and development through
mt the county ard the other eXigen-
,ies which contributed to the urgent
demands for the construction of 4
new court house. lie touched brief
ly upon the project for the new
structure, the amount voted by the
people and the formalities looking t.
the commencement of operatians so
far carried out, and the prospects OF
4, building such as would stand for u
century at least. well may the
people of Rock Island county," said
he, .'anticipate the era of wonderful
increase of population, wealth and
progress we are just now fairly en-.
tering upon. by the erection of this
grand building; for, second to none
in natural resources, industry and
thrift we will be in the van of enter.
prise and progress.
"And, as we inaugurate this grand
building by these imposing ceremo
nies, let us not in our pride fail to
consccrate it to the impartial admin
istration of justice. May its history
be characterized by wiser. fuller
and more impartial administration
Of justice even than has character
ized the old court house. May its
fair fame and that OF our county \
never be sullied by dishonesty, brib
erv or corruption. May its walls
never witness the growth of tyIann,
and injustice; discrimination be
tween high and low. powerful and
weak, or rich and poor. In it ma,
the county's business be trans.
acted with dispatch, economy anC
wisdom; its courts be conducted
with such fairness and such wisdom
that they will receive the respect anc
veneration Of the whole people. LIE
there be no occasion in our count,
for mob law, or any other demon
strations of anarchy. on occount o
the partiality or impotence of ou,
courts. As the old court house wa
for its day monument to the publ,
spirit. enterprise and pride of thu
people of the day, so let this build
ing be testimonial of the pride. am
bition and public spirit of our da,
and age. And when in the future
the necessities Of the county require
and the resources of the county jus
tify, a building TO take the place o
this one. let us all hope that ou
county will have made such progres
that that building will be as muci
greater and finer than this as tbi
will be of the old. Aud above all le
US hope that when that time shal
have come. the same grand old star
and stripes that now SO proud,
, ioat over the old court house. viii
adorn the majestic dome of this; an,
that then. as now, it will be tn,
glorious banner Of the free, the hol,
emblem of the greatest, graudest an,
best government ever institute,
among men,"