Year: 1878

| uICdlc lIdJ SI1e Ildu no eyes TO Sc


the suitors in court, but with ear


to hear every syllable that was ut
tered by the lips of the witnesses


and the judge expounding the law


of the land to jurors attentive t,


every word uttered by him.


Why should not the county o


Montgomery select the site gratui


tously rendered it for the location D
| the Court House-a site which would


be quiet, accessible and convenient
to the working-men of the city, ano
away from the rattle of wagons ano
the uproar of livery stables and
warehouses /? This question may
awaken no sensation now; it may
die away for the present; but it will
burst in thunder tones upon the
ears of the people when their hard
earnings are squeezed from their
depleted purses to pay high price
for lot, when a more eligible one
was rendered gratuitously, and a
grand Court House is erected there
on, costing them in gross 100000.
1t does seem to me to be dictate of
prudence for the people of Mont
gOmery county to see to it that a
Court House should be built SUBJ
stantial, commodious and comfort
able, with every modern conven-
fence attached thereto, but in moth
ing extravagant or expressed in
fancy, at a cost not to exceed $j0,-
600 for the lot, Court House and Jail
combined. Such a Court House and
Jail could be built on the west side
of the square, and would not injure
any prOperty-holder, wherever he
may reside in the city.


This would settle the business of
the city which is now wandering
and restless, in a district bounded
by the public square on the west,
Second Cross street on the east,
Main street ON the north and Com
merce street on the south, leaving
all outside of these limits for private
residences, colleges, schools and
churches. Here will be found verge
and scope for fine business, com
mercial and manufacturing city.
The west of the square will be Oc-
cupied by the banking houses and
the Court House, with fine and COM
Portable hotels at either end of the
square. The east side Of the square
would be rebuilt and re-habitated
and finished off in style that would
be ornamental to the city. No
body would be injured by it; Frank
lin street, from the square to Sec
ond Cross street could not be dam
aged, nor should it be. Its enter
prising people deserve to be en-
couraged rather. Its business is
well established, and can never be
shaken by locating the Court House
on the square, though it may
be, by building the Court House ON
the lot now selected. 1T will always
be the fashionable street for fine dry
goods stores, fashionable millenary
houses, jewelry, &C., and will ever
be to Clarksville what Chestnut st.
is to Philadelphia. 1t is to their
interest, the Court House should be
put on the square. Then / say you
injure no one by locating it there,
whereas if it is taken away, entire
ly from its original position, you
will make the public square ruin.


1t is not fair and even handed
Justice to all, for the authorities of a
city so to distribute their public fa-
vors, as to ruin any part by build
ing up another. 1t would be better
for us to return, as early as possible
to the paths and usages of the faith
ers of the city f; the POstons, the FL
ders and the McClures who founded
the city and spent their money
around and about the square and
who were encouraged to do it from
the fact that the Court House was
located on the square, which was
dedicated to the city by Martin
Armstrong, the original proprietor
of the land on which the town is
built. The Court House should be
built there now, especially as it will
iniure none but benefit all.


The property holders about the
square are alike against building a
new Clarksville and running the old
one. They contribute very largely
to the State, county and city taxes
and have done so for years. They
do not want the county to ruin them
now, and for themselves, only ask
for fair play, and for the county and
the city-ecOnomy.


MADISON.