The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-06-26
FORCE THE ISSUE.

FORCE THE ISSUE.
/ any patriotism in his make up or an.
county prids ia his nature how any one
can oppose a new court house for Maur!
County. Yet there are men who will op-
pose it, and at the same time admit tha
the county needs new one.
The question of new court house j.
a very familiar one. 1t is so old that one
must respect the question because of its
age. For years an agitation has been
going on through the county for it. DC
casionally it has been injected into the
county court. But there it has always
received an effectual black eye. Never
theless, the sentiment has grown, and
it is greater today than it has ever
been; and unless we are badly mistaken
the report Of the recent grand jury is
going to precipitate the matter and
force it TO an issue.
Next Monday the Quarterly Court
y i'll convene. We will see what it has
to say on the question. Appropos to
the court, a leading member OF that
body was in town this week and was ap
preached on the matter and asked his
opinion. He was against it. He re
Gently was candidate for Office in this
county, and he made his race with this
inscription written upon his banner:
against new court house." He was
defeated. Yet he says the county
doesn't need it. And he says this in
the face of the report Of twelve good
men Of this county whom he helped to
select to examine the present court house
and who reported last Saturday to Judge
Holding as follows:
I'VE further report that we have ex
am ned the County Court House. 1t Is
in bad ana dangerous condition. The
noise of the streets is heard above the
testifying witnesses and ii Is diff
cult matter to hear or know what Is said
during an investigation. We have
observed during our present session
that the rains came through the
roof and top floor onto the second
floor. The walls are cracked and
dilapidated. There IS absolutely no
protection to the county records. Land
titles court, records, and other dOcu-
ments and records of vast Importance
to the citizens OF the county are prac
tlcally subjected to the elements.
There are no vaults nor other protec-
tion from fire. and should fire occur
the result would most prabably be
their destruction, bringing about an
unendlng turmoil of lawsuits. trouble
and expense to property owners. The
building Is in such state OF dilapl-
datlon ahd decay that it would be folly
and useless expense to undertake to
repair 1T. The pride of the county
calls for new court house, the serious
and dangerous conditions demand 1t,
and the unprotected citizens are en-
titled to it.
The new court house question is
very live one. And it's growing livelier
every day The pride of Maury County
is at last arousing Itself, and the citi
zsns are determined that few men in
the county court shall not force the
county to suffer continued disgrace by
the miserable old shack that sits in the
middle of the square in Columbia Let's
force the issue. Let us fight the cam
paign in every civil district throughout
the county. Let every man who
runs for justice of the peace be forced
to come out squarely on the question
and take stand for or against. And
if he is against the proposition. beat
him. The Herald will not believe until
it is settled by the sovereigns themselves
at the ballot box that the people of
Maury county have no county pride.
Riding along the Tennessee Midland
Railroad from Jackson to Memphis one
passes the little city of Sometville. 1t
has about 1000 inhabitants 1t is sit.
uated in the county of Fayette, of which
it is the county seat. The first thing
that greets the eye Of the stranger as he
steps from the train is magnificent
eIfice which cost 100000 1t is the
Fay ct county court house. Is there a
thinking man 10 Maury County
who will say that the Fayette county
court house is not an advertisement Of
the county pride and enterprise OF the
people of the county, Now, what sort
Of an advertisement is the Maury County |
court house? And yet Fayette county
to Maury not as we'll as our
sister county OF Hickman. And we the |
fifth county in Tennessee in wealth,
md in culture and education standing
It the very top,