Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-06
MELVILLE w. FULLER
The Man Proposed For
Chief Justice.
WHAT IS THOUGHT OF HIM.
A Short Sketch of His Life,
Habits and Qualifications
for the High Office.

A Short Sketch of His Life
Habits and Qualifications
for the High Office.
Following as the comments of th,
Chicago lawyers and press on Mr.
Fuller named by the President fol
Chief-Justice Of the United States:
The appointment seems to give very
general satisfaction in Chicago. The
Judges and members of the Bar are
especially pleased. w. @. Cloudy
who had many supporters in the West
for the Chief Justiceship, said: ~
am very much gratified, indeed, tc
hear that Mr.. Fuller has received the
appointment. | was certain that il
the President came to Illinois for q
Chief Justice Mr.. Fuller was the only
man upon whom the choice would
fall. He is ripe scholar, and able
lawyer, of perfect integrity. He will
fill the position ably. regard the
position of Chief Justice as the high
est post of honor under the Govern
ment, more honorable than the Presi-
dency. In selecting Mr.. Fuller the
President has honored the State OF
Illinois and the whole West"
Colonel Huntington jackson said !;
"It's higher position than any king
could aspire to; it doesn't come by
hereditary decent; it is recognition
of pure merit; it is an honor to the
West that the President should have
chosen the Chief Justice from amongst
the lawyers of Chicago"
Judge Shepard said: "It is the best
appointment the President could have
made. l am heartily glad that Mr..
Fuller has been named"
Judge Tulley said: 81 can't say
much on the subject, for I'd never
know where to stop. 1t is not only a
very high tribute to Mr.. Fuller, but it
is an honor to Chicago, that one Of
her sons should be named for this
high position"
The Journal (Republican) says
"The appointment will be approved
most heartily by Mr.. Fuller's host of
friends in Illinois. where for over
thirty years he has been in the active
and successful practice OF his profess
sion, in which he stands among the
very foremost. Mr. Fuller is native
Of Maine, and is in the very prime of
his physical and mental powers. Noone
acquainted with him personally will
question the wisdom of his appoint
ment to the exalted post 'tion for which
he has been named. His confrma-
ton by the Senate will be a matter of
course. In personal appearance Mr..
Fuller is unusually handsome. His
hair and moustache are silvery, and
his features clear cut and intelligent.
In statue he is short and slight, com
pared with his future associa es on
the Supreme Bench. Mr.. Fuller is
man Of fine scholarly as we'll as legal
talents, and his ability as an orator
has won him the title of the
Chauncey NJ. Depew OF the West.
In politics he is best described
as an old.school Democrat. He
was loyal in feeling during the war, is
believer in the advanced doctrine of
State rights, and an advocate of a SIM
pie government. He is member OF
TIE Protestant Episcopal church, aud
has been prominently identified with
that religious denomination, and con-
spicuous in the Cheney and other
famous ecclesiastical trials. He is
well known in Washington as q prac-
titioner before the Supreme Court.
James w. Harlan, son Of Justice
Harlan, is in Mr.. Fuller's law office
here.
New York Democrats think highly
of Mr.. Fuller, whom the President
has nominated for the Chief Justice
ship. Few lawyers, however, knew
Fuller personally, so they could not
say other than that the President has
not blundered after his long deliber-
alton. Leading Irish-Americans are
outspoken in their qualification over
the defeat of Phelps, and Democratic
politicians were correspondingly hap
py over the fact that a stumbling
block was not to be placed in the way
of Irish-American loyalty to the party.
Mr.. Garter and Mr.. Coudert, both Of
whom were mentioned for the place,
are not disappointed, because neither
would have cared to accept it
A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Melville Weston Fuller is we'll
known Chicago lawyer who has built
up large legal practice there during
the last thirty years and whose ability
and integrity are recognized even byhis
political opponents. He was born in
Augusta. Me-, on February IL, 1888.
His father was Frederick A. Fuller;
his mother Catherine Martin, daugh-
ter of Chief-Justice Nathan Weston.
Melville W. fitted for college in Angus
ia AMI graduated at Bowdoin in the
class of 1853, his classmate being E.
]. Phelps, our Minister to England,
who is also prominently mentioned
in connection with the Chief Justice
ship. Mr.. Fuller, after leaving col
lege, began the study of law in the
Office Of his uncle, George Melville
Weston, at Bangor. After attending
lectures in the law department Of
Harvard University he began the
practice Of his profession in Augusta
in 1855. While waiting for tents he
acted as editor of the Age, AMI won
his spurs in journalism.
Feeling that his true field of work
was the law, and realizing that his
IsI n