The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-03
ALDERMAN FULLER
INTENDS TO RETIRE
Will Not Be Candidate for the Re-
publican Nomination in the
Sixteenth Ward.

When his term of Office as alderman
of the sixteenth ward expires a few
months hence, Alderman Frederick
Fuller will lay down the cares or MS
Office for good and all. Mr. Fuller
has been alderman of that ward for
thirty consecutive years, and is prob
ably the oldest alderman in Pennsyl-
vana in point of service.
He said some time ago, when urged
by friends to allow himself to be a
candidate for denomination and re-
election, that he had no desire to enter
into q heated contest for the Office,
and that when his term expired he
would retire to private life. Yester-
day he made public his determination
in the following statement:
I desire the voters Of the Sixteenth ward OF
this city to know that ] am not candidate Tor
reelection to the Office Of alderman at the com
ing spring election. The end Of my present term
will complete the thrtieth consecutive year OF
nv incumbency to the office. l am not un'
mindful of the importance Of the position and
that it is one that should command the respect
oi the community when the incumbent ihteill'
gently, conscientiously and faithfully discharges
the duties required Of him.
An indisornnate and quite severe criticism
has prevailed OF late in regard to the office as it
is now administered. Tie fault does not always
belong to the magistrate. The statute law as
constructed in many cases furnishes the ground
| for this The defendant in q criminal case is per-
| mitted to 90 before any magistrate and enter
! bail for his appearance at court, and is also
| permitted 10 waive hearing before the alder
man who issues the warrant and enter bail.
This. l believe, is not good practice. The
defendant should be required to appear before the
alderman with whom the complaint is lodged
and full hearing had to satisfy the magistrate
that good and sufficient ground exists TO send the
! case 10 court. And in trivial cases all reason
| able effort should be made to effect settlement
| between the litigants. Ii this system was made
| the rule the higher court would be greatly re-
! licyed and the county saved large expense as
well as the parties in interest.
The Office OF alderman is not sinecurc 1t is q
| trying one in every respect and is far from
! being remunerltivc when all the time. annoy
ance and perpledty necessary in the disposition
| Of suits is taken into consideration
1t is the unattrictive feature in humanity that
is presented TO the magistrate in most cases aud
with which he has to deal.
The office OF justice of the peace is said 10
| have been established about the year OF 1927 by
Edward III. Dalton's Country Justice, printed
| in London, A. ID. 1162, says: ''Justices OF tine
peace are not TO prevent justice which may be
|
selves with the fear OF God, the love Of truth aud
justice, and with the authority and knowledge Of
the laws and statutes OF the realm. They should
do justice uprghtly and indifferently, without
delay, partiality, fear bribery, with stout ant
| upright and uncorIupt hands"
l believe this high standard should not be
lowered.
It,can be said of Alderman Fuller
that during his many years of service
he has been true TO that high stand
ard. He has scorned the idea OF
melting litigation. that he might bene-
fit thereby and likewise the modern
practice of making the county pay
for great numbers of discharged cases.
During his years in Office the dis
charged cases for which he has pre-
sented bills to the county commits
sioners have not averaged one year.
The candidates for the Republican
nomination for alderman in the Six
teenth are p. ]. Vetter and Sol Kline.
There are also two aspirants for the
Democratic nomination, Attorney NJ
j. Ruddy and John T. Fahrenheit.