The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-05-31
DICKEY vs.. LELAND.

paper WHICH hNOTS inc cIcCtlOH Ol IlOii.
LYLE Dickey as Judge of this Circuit pub
lished statement of the number OF cases de
cided respectively by Judges Dckey and LIE
land in given number Of days, the result O
the figures being to show that Dickey on thu
bench transacted business much more rapidly
than Leland. The Bureau County Herald, Oh
The other hand, publishes asimilar statement
and makes the figures show that Leland dis
posed of business more rapidly than Dickey
did while Judge Not believing that either
Of those papers intended wiifully to falsify
the facts, we have taken their statements to-
gether and submitted them to a comparison
with the actual facts as shown by the records
of the La Sale and Bureau courts, and while
we find that neither statement is correct we
also find that the true figures, to which the
Clerks of the two Courts respectfully are
ready to be sworn make strongly in favor of
the superior expedition of Judge Dickey.
These are the facts:
Dickey, when Judge in Bureau county, occu-
pied the bench in all ............ 40 days
And made final disposition of. =. 1921 causes
Leland, in 1871 and 1872, held court in Blu,
Ttau county. ....-.... 40 udyS
And made final disposition of. -. $50 causes
Being an average of causes per day for
Dickey, and causes and IA hundredths of
ease per day for Leland.
In La Sale county, Dickey, in the years 1S49
and 1850, held court. ............. 80 days
And rendered in that time. -. 30S judgments
Leland, in the same county, held court in 1871
and 1872. ...................... 237 days
And rendered. .............. $50 judgments
Dickey's average 522 judgments per day
bcland's average 2A judgments per day.
Those who know both men will agree with
rs, that Judge Dickey is naturally ready,
prompt man, Of sanguine warm tempera
ment; while Leland is cool, deliberate, and
inclined to be slow.
When Judge Dickcy was on the bench his
circuit embraced twelve counties, among
others the large counties of PEORIA La Sale |
and Kane; and although there was not as much 1
court business in this county then as there is
now, still, in the twelve counties, there was
much more business than there is in the two
counties which now make this circuit In
the course of one year, after Dickey became
Judge in 1S4s, he cleared all the dockcts in
his circuit, and after that 50 long as he was ,
Judge, with few exceptions, every case which {
was ready for trial was tried ut the first I
term in every county, and no case was con
tinued for want OF time. OF late years, it is
well know, case usually must stand on the
docket about year before its first call for \
trial In the meantime witnesses and parties !,
must dance attendance upon the court, on ac q
count of the uncertainty as TO when the case n
will be called p
The article of the Bureau H6raid, referred II
20 above as written in the interest of Judge I
Leland and republished in the Ottawa RepuJ.
ttcaB of Thursday, is full of inaccuracies and
bald absurditcs. 1t states that Judge Dick
eys term rs judge began in Oct. 1S49, when,
in fact, it began on the LIST of Dec. 1913. 1t
states that Judge Dickey held court in Blu
reau county % days, when in fact he held
court IN that county but 40 days in his entire q
four years. 1t states that he disposed of but
2JS cases in that county when in fact he made
final disposition of 321 cases The HeroMs
mistake in the number Of days occurred by 1 /
counting in Dickey's term 10 days during
which the court was held by other judges
and its mistake as to the number of cases !,
arose from its counting only the judgments u
On the judgment dockcts, instead of examn. :
ing the successive court dockcts it being well G
known that large number of cases, which U
take up much time of the court were dispOs- II
ed Of without entering formal Judgment II
against either party &c
The Herald article is inaccurate in other n
respects. II states that Judge Leland held CO
court in that county, in ali his terms SCI DAYS III
and disposed OF 2447 cases, an average of 30 III
per day; also, that the record OF the business pc
done by Leland covers ABA pages while that I'll
IF Dickey covers 43S pages showing that Lee &C
lends record averages 1856 pages day. while p
Dickey's, Of he is credited with 40 the true
number instead of j5D averages II pages per u
day. Now when we consider how much IL
more brief and compact the old records were
than the verbose and extended records of Z
these days, which the Clerks get up to in "
crease their fees, these figures given by the '
friends of Leland show decidedly in favor u
Of the superior rapidity of Dickey
Another absurdity Of the Herdld article is u
It's parade Of the fact that Leand's record is VI
so much larger per year than Dickey's. of
course ii is, in Bureau and La Sale counties d.
but it must be borne in mind that Dickey's
circuit extended over twelve counties, while Ii
Lelands covers but two Dickey held court y
IN Bureau county about 10 days in each year 81
Leland holds court there about 90 days in III
Zach year. ~
As intimated in our last, while We honestly ID
believe money will he saved the public and to "
itigants by Tie election of Judge Dickey, we ~
nave no other desire than that entire justice u
hall be done TO both these candidates and Ill
hat the trial shall be purely upon their pro- 9
.,cc ION al r.artts Isl