| Michener's
book well describes what a courthouse should be
To the editor:
I have enjoyed the continuing and updating saga of the Wharton
County Courthouse. It has been most interesting. It
seems that the stone and mortar features have been very well
covered.
I was reminded of the
James A. Michener book "Texas" in which on pages 878 and
879 of Volume 2, he described the human elements of building a
courthouse in Texas in the 1880's, to wit:
"It is essential,
gentlemen, that we maintained a clear image of what a great
courthouse ought to be, and I desire to build none that are not
great. It must have four characteristics, and these must be
visible to all. To the criminal who is brought here for
trial, it must represent the majesty of the law, awesome and
unassailable. To the responsible citizen who comes here
seeking justice, it must represent stability and fairness and the
continuity of life. To the elected officials working here,
especially the judges, it must remind them of the heavy
responsibility they share to keeping the system honorable and
forward moving. I want every officer who enters his office
in the morning to think 'I am part of Hammurabii and Leviticus.'
And to the town and county and the state, the courthouse must be a
thing of beauty. It must rise high and stand for something.
And it must grow better as years and decades and centuries
pass."
Enough said.
Franklin Schodek
Richmond, Texas
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