The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-28
cetterS tO tbe Gdftor
Court Square.

Editor The Advertiser:
 have endeavored to read impartial ly all the communications for and against the lease of the fountain site for an office building and have been disappointed that in the main the ar guments against the proposition have been cast upon so low a plane. The proposition was a digniffed one and came from source which should call forth respect:
 There are times when ridicule is ad- missable but in the treatment of a business proposition of the magnitude and importance of the one under dis cussion the arguments against it would carry more weight if clothed with dig ntty.
 Some of the efforts at ridicule have over-reached the mark and failed to make an impression except one of com- misseration for the unfortunate writer who displayed his inability to be fun ny-such for instance as Liddell's lean- ing tower and Progresss star.
 There Is some effort of Expansion" to bring forth an argument and he due consideration. He asks, If the place on Court Square is the only one that can be secured for an office build ing where on earth can the next ore be built. v Who says that Court Square is the only place which offers a site for an office building? Not the advocates for the lease of the fountain site, for they have distinctly said that there
 
 suitable but that the owners thereof would not part with them at figure anywhere within reason and in many instances would not sell them at any price: They do contend that the for eign capitalist will not furnish the money to build an office building in a side street, and they very naturally ask If it is reasonable to expect outside capital to do for us what we are un- willing to do for ourselves
 am sorry that "Expansionist" coulj not resist the temptation to make 8 fling at the gentlemen who propose to invest $150,000 in our city and trust that he Is alone in his opposition to foreign capital and that he and the other gentleman who would cry Away with the Alien" will be conspicuous for their lonely situation.
 Expansion" fears congestion ard that the fortunate owner of property facing on the Square will receive a benefit which will not extend to other property owners and so, to make his meaning plain. his argument is that any improvement which would benefit one citizen more than another should be cried down If this theory is car ried out the march of progress must come to an end for there is hardly an Improvement made in our streets or sidewalks that does not inure to the good of some citizen more than another and yet the public as a whole is bene- fited thereby and they never stop to ask whether MT. A. or MT. B. will TeCelNe q greater DeneHL than they 1 If the office building Is erected on Court Square as a matter of course all | the surrounding property will enhance in value but it will not stop there the whole city, will feel the, effect. But should Expansion" be correct in his position and the property on Court Square alone be effected. is it not a marrow position to take, that because my property does not share in the ;d- vance l will cry down that which W ill | improve my neighbOrS?
 It Is possible there are others Tn the city who share his spirit. but I trust | that their name Is not Legion"
 come now to ''Expansion's" serious argument: The fear of accident. He has seen a picture of She proposed building and in his imagination he sees as they attempt to pass from it to knahe's corner or to the bank corner they are liable to be run over by the cars. He sees all this but does not see wagons would make the danger ten fold greater. He crys against the of fce-bulldtng but says take away the fountain and let the country wagons wagons to attract the crowd to The Square so they would still finger On Knabe's and the bank corners to ob- structthe way of the ladies passing by It is hard for me to recognize the spir- 1t of expansion in the suggestion that we make a wagon yard of Court Suulre and cannot agree with "Expansion' that this is the best way to advertise our city.
 better way Is to adopt twenttetl century methods-let the world know what we have to- offer-inVite them tc cast their lot among us. prepare to re ceive them when they come and whcr they do come, receive them cordially and in the spirit of fairness.
 Converting the fountain site into z wagon yard Nnd putting up sign tha No Aliens need apply" will not Nend {, Montgomery expansion but rathel | contraction.
 Greater Montgomarv