Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-05
FULLER CHIEF JUSTICE
FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
Appointed Head of Supreme Court
by Cleveland in 1888

WASHINGTON, July 4.-To Chiet
Justice Fuller fell the honor of third
rank for length of service as presiding
justice in the highest tribunal of the
American government For Twenty-Five
years he was chief justice of the su-
preme court of the United States, but
Chief Justice Marshall presided over
the court for thirty-four years and
Chief Justice Taney for twenty-eight
years. With the future rests the de-
termination of his rank among the
eight chief justices of history for abll-
ity and accomplishments.
Before Grover Cleveland sent his
name to the senate on April 80, 1888,
for confirmation as chief justice, he
was practically unknown except to
members of the legal profession. III
Maine, where he was born February
IL, 1888, he had been known as we'll
behaved, rather scholarly lad. He had
gone to Bowdoin college and Incl
dentally there won most of the prizes
for elocution. He had gone down to
Harvard law school for one year.
Finally he blossomed forth as g. full
dedged lawyer and politician OF hlgh-
minded sort In his native city or Au-
gusta. He became an associate editor
on a Democratic paper called The Age,
and about the same time was eiecIeo
president of the city council and city
solicitor. Soon thereafter he left
Maine for the greater opportunities
of life in Chicago.
LIVED IN CHICAGO
From 1856 to 1888 he lived in Chicago,
but attracted little attention outside
his immediate associates and friends,
and afterward at the bar until he un-
dertook the defense of Bishop Henry
on a charge of heresy His KNOWLEDGE
of ecclesiastical history and proceed
ure astonished those who conducted
the case, and his argument OF the
cause of the bishop before the supreme
court of Illinois is referred to still as
a forensic effort seldom, If ever, sur
passed in that court.
He was a delegate to the national
conventions of the Democratic party in
1864, 1872. 1876 and 1880.
The Maine boy who had "gone west
accomplished much, however, notwith-
standing his quiet life. He had laid
the foundations for deep understand
ing of the commercial laws or the
country, and along this line he had
performed services for clients that were
estimated to have netted him an annual
income of $3O,00O These accomplish
from Illinois to urge upon the Demo
cratic senate the appointment OF Mr..
Fuller as the successor of Chief JUS
tice Morrison r. Waite.
LONG CONTEST
The nomination of Mr. Fuller, then
55 years old, was followed by mem
orable contest in the senate. The Ju-
dietary committee with It's Republ-
can majority, to which the nomination
was sent April 80, held up the ap-
pointment until July 20. Then the COM
mittee reported it to the senate with
out recommendation"
For three hours that body debated
In executive session whether to con-
firm or reject the nomination The at
tack on Mr. Fuller was led by Sen
ators Edmunds. Evarts and Stewart.
Senators Cullom and Farwell defended
him. The reports that he had been a
"copperhead" during the civil war ana
that he did not possess the requisite
ability as a lawyer were gone over.
Finally, by a vote of Al TO 20, his
nomination was confirmed. Since that
day the entire court, as it then existed.
has passed away, with the single ex-
ception of Justice Harlan. OF those
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