"The framers of the Constitution employed words in their natural sense; and, where they are plain and clear, resort to collateral aids to interpretation is unnecessary, and cannot be indulged in to narrow or enlarge the text; but where there is ambiguity or doubt, or where two views may well be entertained, contemporaneous and subsequent practical construction is entitled to the greatest weight."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Democratic Party (United States) politiciansLawyers from the United StatesPeople from MaineChief Justices of the United States
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
McPherson v. Blacker, 146 U.S. 1 (1892)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Melville_Fuller
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Melville Fuller
Melville Weston Fuller (February 11, 1833 – July 4, 1910) was an American politician, attorney, and jurist who served as the eighth chief justice of the United States from 1888 until his death in 1910.
4 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Melville Fuller →
Related Quotes
"The Emancipation Proclamation is predicated upon the idea that the President may so annul the constitutions and laws …"
"Nothing can be clearer than that what the Constitution intended to guard against was the exercise by the general gove…"
"The power of the state to impose restraints and burdens upon persons and property in conservation and promotion of th…"
"Individual rights have been recognized by our jurisprudence only after long and costly struggles. They should not be …"
"Common sense and justice dictate that a citizen accused of a crime should have the fullest hearing possible, plus the…"
"Experience demonstrates that in time of war individual liberties cannot always be entrusted safely to uncontrolled ad…"
"Criminal punishment for disobedience of an arbitrary and invalid order is objectionable regardless of whether the ord…"
"That an individual should languish in prison for five years without being accorded the opportunity of proving that th…"
"This exclusion of "all persons of Japanese ancestry, both alien and non-alien," from the Pacific Coast area on a plea…"
"The judicial test of whether the Government, on a plea of military necessity, can validly deprive an individual of an…"