The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-31
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Courthouse Question.

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 The skyscraper courthouse and the jail on top is the proposition up to the voters of Jefferson county for the 18th day of June, next, by the Board of Revenue.
 There are some people who will oppose anything, good or bad, even public neces- stiles. The present absolute necessity for fireproof courthouse, to preserve the records from fire and the further abso- lute necessity of adequate room in which to do the business before the courts now pending Is up to the voters of this county in it's most accurate and acute form Shall we discharge this pressing duty we owe to our rich and growing county and Bir- mingham, which should be the pride of all, even Bessemer people? Judge Greene has wisely held that there must be two submissions to the voters in order to com ply with the constitution and rulings of the supreme court, as per Woodlawn vs, Cain, 135 Ala, 369 where two propositions are to be submitted to the people. Five hundred thousand dollars for a courthouse and jail at Birmingham and $1O0,OOO for a courthouse at Bessemer, and let the people say by their votes all over the county, if they want $100,OO0 courthouse at Bessemer or not. Bessemer Is always putting in on Birmingham and every time Birmingham undertakes to make any public move, even In cases of pub E lie necessities of interest to the whole county, Bessemer butts in and says: You shall not have it unless you give us a s1oo.O0o courthouse, when in truth and
 n .11 -4,Io ao much entitled to courthouse as Besse- mer, and perhaps more so. Bessemer Is too selfish, she is spending too much time In paying tithe of anise and cum min, and has omitted the weightier mat ters of the law, to-wit: good judgment.
 We have some good, clever fellows at Birmingham, all of whom live on easy street. who allege if the courts will en- force the prohibition law, we won't need any more courthouse room or jail room and can put the county's money on the public roads. All of these clever fellows have automobiles, are very fond of fun, and they have an ambition to see who can have the biggest machine and which one can run the fastest This fun is all right, provided they don't neglect the weightier matters of public necessities, such as our plan to build the much need ed courthouse and jail. This is a duty the whole people of the county owe to themselves, as matter of self-preserva- ton. which Is the first law of nature, and the second, like unto it, help those who are not able to help themselves.
 Under the constitution and laws of the state we owe it to ourselves as matter of pride and self respect and to the prisoners confined in jail to give them properly ventilated Jail and to keep them safely confined therein until the day of trial and then give them fair and im- partial trial and if found guilty, then send them further on to the place where they belong.
 Now, let us keep this implied promise to the ear in good faith, and not break 1t to the hope; notwithstanding the money devil is always on hand to disturb our peace of mind when we are disposed to do clean things.
 JOHN W. CHAMBLEE.
 Birmingham, May 30. 1909.