The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-02-12
THE COURT HOUSE QUESTION

THE COURT HOUSE QUESTION
We invite the caretul attention ars
intelligent consideration OF our reader
to the foreible and patriotic communi
cation appearing IN this issue from
Mr.. George Campbell Brown upon tn
Court House question. We desire e
emphasize the point made by Mr..
Brown as to what the removal OF the
Court House to Mt. Pleasant would
cost the people of Maury County. In
this connection we refer to the trial oil
Tom Cox. now going ON in Nashville
for the killing of policeman Dowell.
The murder created such public in
terest that il was absolutely necessary
to send to the remote parts OF Davidson
County in order to OBTAIN jurors who
were qualified to sit upon the case
About q week has been consumed In
selecting the jury. The first panel
contained $50 farmers. selected from
the remote parts of Davidson County.
Thus panel was exhausted and second
panel OF 750 farmers were summoned.
All of these were exhausted and the
third panel of 800 We're summoned.
These were all exhausted and an addi-
tional panel of 300 were summoned.
and still only qualified Jurors had
been obtained mp to Wednesday morn
ing last.
Some 200 OF these jurors were fined
$25 each for not being on hand
promptly when their names were
called; and their excuse was that they
lived 80 far from the court house that
1t was exceedingly difficult TO gel
there on time.
Suppose murder were committed
in Mt Pleasant or It's vicinity that
awakened great public interest and
excl tement. and that, to complete the
Jury. as In tine case above CITED. 1000
men should be summoned and ex-
hausted. or course the people living |
near Mt. Pleasant and In that portion
of the county between Mt. Pleasant
and Columbia would be disqualified to
serve as jurors, for they would In all
human probability form or express
such opinions as would disqualify
mem. Jurors would nave to be sum-
noned from the portions of the county
remotest from Mt. Pleasant say from
he northern and eastern portions,
ind would be compelled to travel from
.8 to- "a miles to attend the Court.
lpon its summons, as Jurors. 1t would
equire at least one day more for these
urors to attend Court at Mt. Pleasant
nan to attend at Columbia. II the
lme of these farmers were worth only
Il. 80 per day there would be for that
me item for 1000 men Is, 1000. 90 OF ex- I
,ence 10 the farmers 1t would cost 30 ,
ents as railroad fare TO go from Column
ia TO Mt. Pleasant and return to Column /,
ia after having ridden ten or twelve
1ll6b W TcdCu OoiulHhin Ahio AeSA' |
expense would amount to 81, 900. 90. :
large number of them would be ,
ompelled to spend the night at Mt. q
'leasant. awaiting their turn to be
allied by the Court. This expense |
,ould necessarily amount to an add a
onal ~. 000.0 The twelve Jurors I
elected, land they only, would get a
Nv for their time and mileage; the &
theirs would get nothing; 30 thar in +
ne great murder trial the horny i
anded sons of toll of Maury County a
'ould be compelled to pay out OF /
,eir own pockets some five or SIX t
,ousand dollars for the privilege OF a
aving the Court House located at MT. |,
leasant, to say nothing OF fires i'm q
osed, IL bad weather or any thing a
se should make them tardy in at o
,ndance. I,
And this condition OF affairs would I,
rlst permanently. And the farmers ii
mote from Mt. Pleasant would suffer 81
lis hardship to more or less extent,
every court.
III fact 1t IL impossible to estimate T,
10 burden aud expense that would DO +
i'd upon the farmers OF Maury County f,
twothirds of the qualified voters
uld be guilty Of the supreme folly of a.
ting to remove the Court House to n
{. Pleasant. But the people of 7
aury County will never, in our a
inion, be guilty of sucn an unpa 80
iotic ana unwise step, fraught with as
ch evils to the county at large. ri
1t would be an easy ma ter to show v
,merous other ways In which the =,
rmers would be burdened with ex n,
nse, annoyance and other evils by !,
THE REMOVAL. W
1