The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-08

that I was warned that the Chief Jus tioe was welded to his two story plan, did the only honest and consistent tning | could de--made plan of my own. it | Is very freqently disastrous to have the courage of your own convictions Briefly my plan Is as follows: On the l first floor Is the court room, and con- nected to 1t the judges retiring room, | two rooms of required size for clerk of ! the court one for the reporter and beautiful retiring room for lawyers. The second floor contains the stack-roofn and reading room with librarian's room | in between and a consultation room. There would be a speaking tube from the court room to librarians room and | book elevator from librarians room to court room. The third floor contains consultation room. required rooms for justices and required rooms for Attor- | ney General and private stenographer. | Of course there is an elevator, and l of course there should be an intercorn- l municating system of telephones, 60 that the Justices can sit in their ofloes | and call for books from the library or | papers from the clerks office and have them brought up to them. think that | everyone will admit that an elevator equalizes the utility of all floors. I do mot think In O modern stock room that 1 under any conditions the lawyers should be allowed in the stock room. | but that they and the Justices should be served by the librarian, and that ample help should be employed for this 1 purpose. And this is the '.viofous' plan One of the requirements of the Justices i was that they should be by themselves and quiet. My three-story plan cer- | tainly meets with this requirement., and | If was Chief Justice of the great State of Alabama, would have my books and papers brought to my own office. would not go for them.
 Do the members of the bar think they could get books more expeditiously and argue their cases more promptly by having to leave the court room and gee | their own books, or by using the speak. ing tube or telephone and have their books sent down to them in tho court room the while they went on with the statement of their case7
 I explained in my prospectus that I did not use the requirements of the prospectus in reference to the perspec. tive for the reason that 1t was imprao. tical, especially as my wings set back of the main building. This clause read: "The perspective Is to show west and south fronts of the buildings as they will appear from a point two hundred and fifty feet distant and at an angle of 45 degrees with the plane Of the building, the horizon being taken on a level with the first door"
 I explained that no able architect | would have made any such require- ments, but that the Commission could not know this. So I used a distance of $50 feet with an angle 306o and same plane of horizon. This. too. suppose Is "vicious."
 I still maintain that when all condi- tions are taken into account. the three- story wings should be used, and that their use will make greater, better proportioned and much more effective building than two-stury wings
 The reason twu-story wings were n0t used on the Capitol building at Wash- ington is because the building Is prac- tically' built as 1t was originally plan ned for George Washington. I have never heard any unfavorable criticisms of this building, and believe 1t is gen. orally conceded to be the grandest and most successful public building in the world do not think personalities should be indulged in. especially in such n discussion as this.
 It was invited to enter this competi- ton by the Capitol Commission. Jadg- ing from the opinion of the Justices as to my qualifications as voiced By the Chief Justice, have eminentiy not been fin 1t" from start to finish.
 In justice to myself. shall make this statement: MT. Chief Justice Mcclellan has been wronRfuily informed as to my standing In the profession and the work | I have done.
 My books this year show commits sions signed up of upward Of $1e,000. mostly in the architectural work. and I have some very nice buildings on hand.
 One question would like to ask. in conclusion. Does tiYe wearing of the ernine justify libe1lous statements in reference to a citizen who is earnestly and honestly trying to make his living in his chosen profession7 Does an hon- est difference of opinion call for vicious denunciations on the part of the man who. of all others. should be the expo nent of all fairness and justice and equality in this our great State
 Benjamin Bosworth Smith.
 Montgomery, August '.