Press enter after choosing selection

The Court House

The Court House image
Parent Issue
Day
14
Month
May
Year
1875
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Frorn the Dexter Leader. You have seen it ? Grand structure, isn't it ! As we ascended the steps leading to the court room one day last week, we said, " Is this the court house of the great county of Washtenaw, the fourth in wealth and population of the great State of Michigan ?" Aa we looked arouud on the shabby, dilapidated, filtliy appearance of the room and its approaches, we conceived ourself suddeuly trausterred to some mountain couuty seat in Kentucky, and entering a building used mainly for holding negro meeting and political gatherings. Frayed and ragged matting, black with age and reeking with filth, covers the stairs and court room floor, where it appears to have been used mainly to absorb the tobáceo juice that has been voided upon it from the capacious mcuths of counsel, jurymen, prisoners, witnesses and spectators, for lo, these maiiy years. Dusty, battered windows kindly shut out the futl light of day that would make the squalor too visible. And herd justice is administered in the name of the people of Washteuaw county ! What an impression of the dignity and power of the people must be made upon the mind of the criminal as he is brought into this wretched looking room ! What a reflning influence thej-e surroundiugs must have upon him ! How proud our great lawyers must be, as they stalid up in this dismal place to make their pleas ! We don't wonder there is always quarrelling in the Board of Supervisors every year, for they meet here ; and how they must love money, to stay so long in such a wretched place. There is no doubt about it ! The court house is a disgrace to Ann Arbor, the Athens of the West! Such squalor right under the shadow of the University, the boast of Michigan. Every sentiment of pride and liberality is outraged by the shabby things called the county buildings. All local jealousy should be laid aside, and the question of the permanent location of the county seat be settled in accordance with the greatest convenience of the people. If Ann Arbor is not the best location for it, let some other place be chosen where suitable buildings may be erected. If it is the location best calculated to serve the interests of all the people of the county, let it be so decided, and all local jealousy be laid aside and county buildings be erected there that will not be a standing disgrace to the county. There is no need of an extravagant outlay, but decency demands better accommodations for our courts and couuty officers than we now have.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus