Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1888 — Fuller’s "Fool Friends.” [ARTICLE]

Fuller’s "Fool Friends.”

Springfield Journal: The Chicago Tribune calls the development of the fact of Melville W. Fuller’s attitude in the Illinois Legislature of 1863, his connection with Copperhead peace resolutions of that year, his indorsement of Vailan-. digham and denunciation of Gov-, ernor Yates’ patriotic prorogation of that pestilent “straining over gnats.” The tribune was one of the papers which denounced Fuller’s position at that time in most vigorous English—but it has - changed since then, somewhat at the expense of its consistency and not always for the better. If Mr. Fuller is to be confirmed in the position of Chief Justice, it should certainly be on some other ground than the record he made in the General Assembly of 1863. It may be that he -was only in accord with his party, but the revival of the facts shows how utterly despicable the partisan Democracy of that period was, and we see no reason why a man who has never recanted his errors should now be held up as a model of political and personal purity. For the bringing out of these unwelcome facts, Mr. Fuller’s admirers are largely responsible, since they have seen proper to paint him as a sort of paragon of professional learning, political wisdom, and personal integrity.