Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1911-09-16


sion Of the question.
In reference to Mr.. Ritchie's labors
IN the popular cause upon this occa-
sion The Chicago Daily Journal Of
February ~, 1899, said:
s"The fact 10 no man who ever ap-
peared in Springfield. not even Baron
Yerkes himself, has made such an i'm.
preston on the legislature as has Mr..
Richie. The beautiful part about It
all is that he had no selfish motive in
coming, that he had no connection on
either side Of the great nght-in short,
that he was Just plain William
Richie, citizen
"Mr. Richie, from the standpoint of
q student, has made the street rail.
way problem q study. He stated facts,
not what he believed, nor what ought
to be, or what he would like to see,
but what 10 and was.
"Mr. Richie (unlike Mr.. Yerkes)
appeared as William Richie, citizen
with no axes to grind, and no motive
whatever other than to place facts
and light before the men who were
forced to listen to him through inter.
est, despite the fact that they were
not to be swayed by mere facts"
When but q tyro at the Chicago
bar, in 1883, Mr.. Ritchie was ap.
pointed by the Appellate Court to
serve 40. Law Examiner to test the
qualifications Of applicants for admis.
sion to the bar. For several years he
was chosen by his brethren Of the bar
as Director Of the Chicago Law 1nsti.
tute. He is q member Of the State
Bar Association, 40 also Of the Bar
Association and the lawyer Asso.
citation Of Chicago. He has been q
member Of the bar Of the U. 8. Su.
preme Court for many years past.
It will be remembered that the U.
8. Supreme Court decided the famous
Ninety.Nine Year Act traction litiga.
tion favorably to the City In March,
1905, and that the gist Of that de.
cision lay In the construction which
the court placed upon certain Ian.
guage Of the Act Of 1859.
Nearly three years before that de.
cision was rendered Mr.. Richie had
made public address at Rochester,
N. T., before the National Municipal
League, Of which Attorney General
Bonaparte was then president. In that
address, which was published at
length in the proceedings Of the
league, Mr.. Richie raised and dis
cussed precisely the point which was
subsequently decided by the Supreme
Court In the traction litigation. Re
ferring to this The Chicago Legal
News says:
"The historic importance Of the de.
cision makes It matter Of interest to
point out what was the first definite
indication Of the line Of reasoning
upon which the final decision was
eventually to rest. That credit be.
longs to William Ritchie Of the Chi.
cago Bar. who. in May, 1901, In an
address before the National NUM-.
cipal League upon the street railway
situation in Chicago. states the point.
His definition Of the issue In that ad.
dress was close paraphrase Of the
language Of the y. 8. Supreme Court
upon this point. This exposition Of
the vital point and the particular line
Of reasoning upon which the issue
would probably be decided, occurred
two years before the inception Of the
litigation In which the decision was
made"
Commenting upon the same matter
and referring to Mr.. Ritchie's address,
a. evidence Of bis legal sagacity and
learning, The Central Law Journal,
the leading legal periodical In the
country, says:
Mr.. Ritchie 10 we'll known to the
editor Of this journal as q lawyer Of
rare ability such 40 would grace O
Judge Of the United States Supreme
bench"
The law reports contain many other
evidences Of Mr.. Ritchie's legal abil.
ity. For instance, In 1905, before the
U. 8. Circuit Court Of Appeals ut Chi.
cago. he presented for the nrst time
In any court an important point In
the law Of bankruptcy, affecting the
rights Of creditors. At the request Of
law Journal he subsequently wrote
an extended discussion Of the same
point, which was published. A few
months thereafter the U. 8. Court In
Massachusetts. being called upon to
pass upon q similar question. quotes
Mr.. Ritchie's articles. and rested its
decision upon his conclusions.
Mr.. Richie 10 Q member Of the
Royal Arcanum and Of the Southern
Club Of Chicago, also Of the Chicago
Association Of Commerce. He ID an
Episcopalian In faith and legal ad.
wiser to the bishop Of that church,
and for many years past has served
a. the law member Of the Standing
Committee Of the Diocese. He re-
sides with his family OF four sons (of
whom two are twins) In the beautiful
suburb Oak Park.
Quoting again from the Chicago
Magazine We may. In language heart
lily according with our own sentiments
and knowledge Of the man. say:
HE is Democrats liberal and
broad minded Democrat. His name will
appear In the list Of Democratic candi.
dates for the bench at the approach.
ing primary election. All Democrats
who know him. and they are to be
counted by thousands, know that his