Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-13
FIGHT FOR REMOVAL
OF COURTHOUSE BITTER
voters OF Hanover County to Decide
Question at Election Next
Tuesday.
ASHLAND CITIZENS
ACTIVE PARADE OPENS ExEpc,cU
Public Debate On Matter at Mont
pelier Becomes Heatcd-Commit.
tees, Travelling in Autos, Interview
Farmers at the Plow,
Especial to The Times.Dispatcb.

Especial to The Times-Dispatch1
| ASHLAND. VA. August ia Vic.
orous campaign is now on in Hanoyer
tor the settlement OF the question OF
the removal of the courthouse The
question has been brought up twice
III the last twenty years and sub
! h'itted TO vote of the people. and
each election has shown an Increasing
sentiment IN favor OF the removal OF
VIC courthouse TO a more suitable
place in Hanover. such as Ashland.
through the efforts OF Mayor Ellis,
/ Is NJ Shepherd and Dr. lCharles Am
pier tho court was petitioned last
spring TO call an election on the sub.
1ect. and. after many obstacles had
been thrown in the way of granting
II. the election was called for next
tuesday. August Is. At that time the
ieSal voters of Hanover will vote on
the question as to whether the court
mouse shall be removed from its pres
ent location at Hanover to Ashland
a"o' necessarily. new building
erected.
Ashland is centrally located and. on
account OF being located on the Rich
."oho' fredericksburg and Potomac
haiir"ao' is accessible for those who
attend court Whenever the question
OF removal has been raised. power.
full opposition has developed largely
on the part of those who own land
and homes adjacent to Hanover and
since the courtyard has been made
sacred by the erection Of handsome
monument to the Confederate soldiers
OF Hanover. every effort has hoo,
brought TO bear upon the sentimental
citizen and voter
OLD COURTHOUSE FULL.
OF HISTORICAL INTEREST
The old courthouse at uanovo- :.
surrounded with much glory and his.
torical interest, on account of ito
Colonial associations and beinr ,bo
place where Patrick Henry made his
famous speech in the Parsons casa
Inc building is far from being arts
TIC IN any sense of the word. and
from practical standpoint. Il is
becoming more and more unsuitable
each year for tho business Of tho
court. The clerks Office. which is do
tached from the courthouse proper. kas
become SO crowded with records that
serious complaint has come from, rho
legal fraternity. The county iail. in
the courtyard, recently burned. so that
hanover now has no Jail Thus the
urgency FOR better facilities and n
now courthouse are undenied
The Board OF Supervisors. three In
number, has expressed a WILLINGNESS IN
pond tho county for a sum not cxce.d
ing $4,000 for n new courthouse. but
on the question Of its being located at
Ashland one lis strongly in favor of IL.
one Is decidedly opposed to IL and tho
third member is undecided. The vote
next Tuesday of the full strength OF
the county, about 1900. will decide the
mater as 10 removal and subsequently,
as TO its anticipated cost. More than
100 freeholders signed the petition TO
the court for the election. and Ashland
District is almost a unit in favor of tho
Beaver Dam District is about equally
divided on the question. and Henry
District is strongly opposed to the
The appraised valuation of
taxable property in the county is about
s5,6oo.01o. and the committee favoring
the removal and its attendant expense
Is showing prospective voters that
tax Of 8 cents on the dollar. in add-
ton TO present taxes. will pay for a
$4,000 courthouse at Ashland In less
than ten years.
The publicity committee. composed Of
the leading citizens Of the Ashland
District. is waging a vigorous warfare
on the opposition. The members have
been offered the free use Of scores Of
for a county wide canvass
Parties of ten and fifteen OF the leading
citizens Of Ashland have been going
out in different directions every day
for a month, interviewing farmers at
the plow and OF tho road
Last night several hundred persons
assem- bled at Montpelier, in the upper
end Of the county. TO hear joint de-
bate on the courthouse removal ques-
ton. and spirited argumen, took
place between former Commissioner Of
Revenue Haw and w. d. cardwcll on
one side, and DIR. Charles Amber and
j. q. BlasinEame, Of Ashland. on the
other side. The feeling ran 80 strong
before the debate was concluded that
Some feared that personal encounter
might result. A large number Of cit-
zcns of tho Ashland District were
present
E3oth sides had re-enforcements in
the way Of speakers on hand tonight
at Beaver Dam, where another Joint
argument took place. and the question
was argued with spirit.