The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-02-24
PRESENT COUNTY
BUILDING is
TOO LARGE
Accommodations for Public at
Trial Not Necessary
VIEWS BY F. C. ARCHIBALD
Manchester Attorney Says Court
House Is Good Enough for Grim
inaIs and Lawyers

mehts nave Deen presented D} you IN /
support OF favorable action by the yo-
ters of Bennington county respecting
the building of a new court house and
Jail in Bennington, namely. the msan-
itary condition of the present building,
its inadequacy to meet the require
ments of such a structure, and the in
ability of the county to remedy exist
ing evils in any other manner than
by the purchase Of land elsewhere be
cause the county owns no more where
the court house stands
Cannot the county acquire more
land Immediately adjoining the pres
ent site of the court house by the
same process that will enable it to
obtain land elsewhere Condemnat-
ion proceedings in the event Of fail
.ure on the part Of the land owner and
the agents of the county to agree as
to the fair value of the land to be tn
ken, can be had just as readily in res
pect of land i'm one place as another
This is upon the theory that the court
house as it now is, is too small A
court room is designed primarily for
the transaction Of legal business. Such
room should be of sufficient size to
accommodate those who have actions
pending for trial II should not be so
planned and constructed as to accom-
modate great crowds of people drawn
thither merely to hear trials where it
is expected the evidence will be sen
sational or TO afford commodious quar-
tiers for those who are always anxious
to get view, or several views of no
torious criminals With this i'm mind
who will say that the court room In
the existing building is not too large?
Public and speedy trials are guaran-
teed by the constitution OF Vermont TO
Ill persons accused of crime, but no
one questions the right OF the legisla-
ture to enact, or of the courts to en-
force laws which will keep most Of the
public outside the court room when
the evidence Is Of such kind that it
ought not to be heard by that public
But you allege that the existing
building is "unsanitary; that it has
been repeatedly condemned as being
an unhealthful locality; a veritable
plague spot etc. Now. sir, for what
do you expect to dispose OF this pest.
house? That is, for how much cash.
in view of the advertising you have
given it as the one place in all Ben
nington county to be stunned because
of its irremediably unhealthful con
dltion? or are you expecting that it
will be sold to some outsider who
knows not that "All hope abandon We
who enter here" ought to be in
scribed over its portals and who, II
your published statements are true
challenges disease of more or less
horrible nature TO attack him? Or dc
you expect that it would be bought
for a song by some one who knows all
about the conditions, and who would
for another song, abolish existing evils
and realize handsomely upon his in
vestment? Your expressed willing
ness to sell this building charged with
and emitting germs of loathsome dis
eases, reminds one of the young won
an who, possessed Of wealth and q
fondness for extravagant adornment
of her person. became converted ant
announced as proof of the genunenes:
' of her conversion, that she had giver
all her jewelry to her sister because
It was dragging her soul down to hell
Your assertion that the project o
building the new court house and iai
is being opposed by the voters of The
north shire because they are unwilling
to contribute anything to Bennington
advancement and Improvement, is sup
d ported by no evidence that any sucl
| sentiment prevails in the Mancheste
District. Such an allegation can hay,
but one object, namely to create pre-
JUDGE and thereby secure the vote
Of those who would oppose this meas
l ure If guided solely by their judg
ment.
u Some towns in this county are al
L ready burdened excessively with taxes
p and this will add to the load that 4
u now almost unbearable, The provis
e ion in the bin that was passed by tn
J. legislature limiting the expenditure
= to fixed sum, as you must know, /
u Of no binding force whatever Ho'
many buildings have you known t
be erected with the money Of the pee
pie where the final cost was limite
to the original appropriations Tn
next legislature can, and, unless thi
court house shall prove an exception