The Ottawa free trader., 1873-05-24
Sir 8ytt Grader,
Hon. T. Lyle Dickey for Circuit Judge.

While for several weeks past the Hon. II
Lyle Dickey has been urged by numerous
friends to become a candidate for Circui,
Judge of this Circuit, and while it is not to
be concealed that his own inclinatons were
decidedly in the same direction, he refraincd
from allowing his name to be presented as a
candidate until after the farmers meeting on
Saturday last, in view of the possibility that
that body might either express preference
for Judge Leland in which case Col. Dickcy
would of course have withdrawn from the
field at once, or might put his own name in
nomination, and thus have saved himself and
friends the trouble of bringing him out. The
farmers association however, having pre-
fcrred not to NEEDLE with the question, Judge
Dickey and his friends were left free to pur-
sue their own pleasure in the matter and re-
spcctfully present his name to the voters OF
the 9th judicial circuit as u candidate for
Circuit Judge
As to the prc.eminent qualifications of
Judge Dickey for this position, none who
know him either personally or by reputation,
can have the least question. For many years
one of the leading and most prominent law
ycrs of Northern Illinois, for severa! years
Assistant Attorney General of the I. ., a
position in which he acquitted himself with
such ability as to acquire national reputa-
ton, and with peculiarly wcll-balanced,
closely discriminating, judicial mind, we
know of no better material in the state for the
making of most competent and efficient
judge. 1t is position in which Judge
Dickey is not untried. He was elected Judge
of this circuit in 1S4S serving several years,
pnd retiring only on account OF the meagre
salary paid the judges in those days, and the
lawyers of those days still harbor pleasant
rememberance of his courteous manly bear
ing upon the bench, and, above ALL Of his
promptness of decision and rapidity in the
despatch of business.
As in these days aside from candidates
legal and personal qualifications for the OF.
ticc the question will naturally present itself
to a large class of our people, at present seri-
ously exercised in regard to railroad extor-
ton and impositions, how does Judge Diciey
stand as regards that matter? we are able to
state that no mans record can present bet
ter showing in the eyes Of the anti monopol-
iS.s He was, so far a5 we know, the first
man in the state of sufficient prominence to
attract attention to his utteranccs, who boldly
proclaimed the doctrine of the constitutional
power Of tho legislature TO regulate the freight
and fare charges of railroads as fully as of
ferries and bridges. He proclaimed this doc {
tr1e at farmers meeting in Ottawa in 1867 {
in a speech from which, without a thought at I
the time Of the possibility of his being can c
didate at this election, we published extracts ,
a few weeks ago, and in q resolution which L
tn meeting adopted, and which, from that {
day TO this, has substantially been made the {
basis of the anti-railrOad commOtion that has {
since grown up throughout the West Very {
decidedly, then, there is no man in the state S
whom the farmers will find more trustworthy t
OF that question than Judge Dickey. {
While speaking in these terms of Judge d., |
aud thus candidly indicating our purpose to
SUI port his election, we have not one word to {
utter against his opponent, Judge Leland No IS
man questions his great legal ability and t
sterling integrity, Our preference for his OPP c
pn,.cnt must lie in considerations indicated !
above, certainly in no depreciation Of his t
many sterling qualities as a public man or
great personal worth as q citizen IL