George L. Yaple graduated from Northwestern University and was admitted to the bar in 1872. He began practicing law in Mendon, Michigan, and later transitioned into politics, running for Congress as a Greenback Party member. Yaple served in the Forty-eighth Congress as a Fusion candidate, aligning with Democratic policies. He also pursued judicial roles, serving as a circuit judge from 1894 to 1911, and later joined the Republican Party in 1916.

George L. Yaple's political journey reveals a dynamic ideological fluidity, transitioning from Greenback Party roots to a later alignment with the Republicans. His early Fusion candidacy for Governor of Michigan and time spent with the Democrats in Congress underscore a willingness to bridge partisan divides. Yaple's later judicial career suggests a deep commitment to legal principles, while his varied party affiliations hint at a highly localized approach to governance. His strategic shifts raise questions about the underlying motivations driving his policy positions.