The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-01-30
THE JACKSON co,
COURT HOUSE
MIDDLE
Several Phases of the Matter Dis
CuSSed by a Jackson County
Citizen.

The Journal is in receipt of the fol-
lowing communication from a resident
OF jackson County relative to the
Court House muddle, which will be
read with interest throughout West
Florida:
Editor Pensacola Journal:
Jackson County is one Of the largest
and best counties in the state. It has
as enterprising and intelligent citizen
ship as any part of the south. and the
material and intellectual development
Of the people is not surpassed by any.
Mariana, the County seat, is one
of the oldest and most noted towns
in the state. and within the past few
years has made great advances ana
has a good class of citizens, among
whom, however. are a few whose am
bitiOn has apparently exceeded their
good judgement, and bought their
town and county. as now organized,
into a sad Dilemma. They properly
voted upon the city bonds to build a
new school house. a new town hall
and an electric lighting plant: and
then planned to build a sixty thousand
dollar court house. without taking the
dear people, into consideration.
Some of the humble. but no less pa.
triOtic citizens and tax payers remOn.
strated, but were numerically
squelched and the new court house
was contracted for. tile old one is
now so fully demolished that not one
stone is left upon another" consider
able supplies are on the ground for
the new structure and at this late day,
the tax payers and legal voters, are
asked to meet at their several polling
places on the 9th Gay of February
and authorize the issue of sixty thou
sand dollars in bonds to complete the
work.
The question now arises: Did the
county board and their advisors know
they were doing an unlawful act with
out calling the people to vote upon
the question at the right time and
when the old count house was torn
away, compel us to vote the bonds. or
did they believe they were right and
now find they were wrong? If the
former their baseness is worthy of the
highest condemnation and if the latter
their ignorance is impardonable and a
reflection upon the legal talent Of the.
Mariana Bar HS
One thing certain, this madness will
rend this dear old county, the people
do not have to vote the bonds to save
damage to the county from costs or to
give the people a court house.
In the first place if the county board
proceeded in, an unlawful way, and
did an unlawful act, they cannot bind
the county; ana if the contractor en-
tered upon his work knowing or not
knowing that the Honorable Board of
Commissioners had not taken the legal
steps, he cannot hold the county for
damages. And more, may not the
humble tax payers refuse to issue
bonds and then enter suit against the
County Commissioners and contractor
for conspiracy in demOlishing the old
court house? Here are some of the
which your cOrrespOn-
dent only suggests.
The outrage put upon the tax payers
by not submitting it to vote before
was done was one that no
citizen can. tamely sub
nit to unrebuked. And now within
one week after notice calling such cleo
ton a perfect buzz of excitement pre-
walls. And the whole talk is Of repu-
dating of the whole action Of the
board by voting against the bonGs
and then dividing the county in two
along the Chipola river. And now an
important center for each new county
stands ready with a bonus of ten to-
twenty thousand dollars for such