The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-08-10
OUR CANDIDATE.

OUR CANDIDATE.
An Analysis or HIS Character by one
Who has Known Him for twenty
Seven Years.
Speech OF Judge Johnson aI AVOndaIe.
Mr.. PRESIDENT, AND LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN :-Bayle, in writing OF
Mohammed, says he never could de-
lcfde whether his friends or his ene-
mics told most lies about him and
so il might, too, generally be said
/ about candidates for Office. In the
case of II. Il. Hayes there seems TO be
no reason for perverting the truth.
His friends have no occasion to eXag-
gerate his merits and his enemies,
unless they are ruffians outright, will
not assaIl his character as 8 gentle
man, q patriot, and an honest man.
have had rare opportunities of
knowing him for the last twenty
seven years, and l propose on this oc-
easion simply to answer 8 few ques-
tions which have been put 10 me in
regard 10 him, and / do this chiefly
for the Information OF q numerous
circle Of my early friends, who have
not had the pleasure of his personal
acquaintance.
WHO IS HAYES. AND WHAT OF HIM?
He is a plant OF the Ohio soil was
born In Delaware, Ohio, in 1892. and
grew up boy OF promise. He was
educated at Kenyon College, Ohio,
aud graduated with the first honOrs
of his class in 1912. He studied the
law IN Columbus, Ohio; and after
ward, in 1S45, took his degree in the
law school of Harvard University. In
l845 he was admitted to the bar at
Marietta, and commenced the prac-
tice of the law in Fremont, Ohio. In
1919 he removed to Cincinnati, Ohio,
and. praetieed his profession about
nine years, in the meantime declin-
ing q nomination for Judge of the
held the important Office of City So
lieitor, first by appointment, and
afterward by election. In 1851 he en-
listed in the Union army, and, with
the rank Of Major, took the field, and
served till the fall OF Richmond and
the close Of the war, having been re-
peatedIy wounded in battle and had
fnur horses killed under him and in
the meanwhile rose by merit from the
rank of Major tO that of Main% Cen
ersl. While he was yet IN the field,
In 1864, he was nominated to Con-
gress in the Second District and elect
ed by large majority, notwithstand-
ing his refusal to leave his post to
canvass the district. At the close Of
the war he took his seat in Congress
and served two years, and was again
elected IN 1866. In 1867 he was elect.
ed Governor of Ohio, served his first
term, was reelected, and served the
second. He was again elected Cover
nor in 1875, and is now in the midst
of his term. He has been in the pub
lie service, with one brief interval,
eighteen years, and Is now, in the
54th year of his age, candidate for
last and highest Office in the nation.
And here it is proper to notice two
peeuliarlties in his history: First, he
was never known to solicit an Office
or promotion, great or small, in his
life. Second, in all the offices he has
held, whether civil or military, he has
never failed, not even through acci-'
dent, to perform his duty with fideli-
ty, wisdom, and success. You are
ready to exclaim, "lucky man."
Call it what you will. If this sue
cess is the result OF good luck; be it
/ so want lucky man for Presi-
dent, If it is the result of wisdom, be
it so; want "a wise man for Presi.
dent. fit is the result OF an over
ruling Providence, be il so / want d
chosen instrument of Heaven for
President.
There's Divinity that shapes our ends,
Rough heW them how we will"
And If, by a chain of unforeseen
events, q young mSn Of big heart and
large eOmmOn-sense, making no pr e.
| tensions to genius, with no ambition
f0T power or place, is led in safety
| through the traekless maze OF human
] accidents for eighteen years-tour
years of the time in the "valley and
shadow of death'i-all the while per-
forming important public duties,
without q blunder in his affairs or a
blot on his name, is not this q man OF
destiny?
He had four horses shot under him
In hattie. 1 do not refer to this as a
proof Of his courage-thst needs no
proof-but as 8 proof that the 'Divinf-
] ty that shapes our ends" was with
him, and covered his head in the
dsy of battle" Not because he was
! better than thousands who fell on his
right hand and on his left, but that
his life was preserved for the accom-
plishment OF something more for his
country.
On Brsddock's field, Washington
had two horses shot under him and
many time and oft, when was q
1 child, have / heard our good old
mothers teach their children, from
this fact, that Washington was a
tchosen instrument of Heaven to
achieve our independence. 1t may
be asked, whether this man CT destiny
has any
MARKED PECULIARITIEs.
I answer, none whatever. Neither
his body nor his mind runs into
rickety proportions. Place him on 8
platform together with one hundred
distinguished men, and call in al
able cOnDOisseur, who has neither
seen nor heard Of any one of them
and he will point him out as q mode
mau neither too large nor s1small
nor too tall nor to short, nor too fat
nor too lean, nor too old nor tor
young. A man in the prime and Wig
or Of healthful manhood, with blood
in his veins and marrow in hi:
bones; able to endure any labor,
either Of mind or Of body, which may
devoIve upon him.
His face seems made to match his
form. No painful, careWoFn wrink
les, indicative Of infirmities or mis-
fortunes, TO provoke 3 grudge against
nature, or engender sOurness towarC
I mankind. Nor does he wear a smirk
ing face, as IL he were q candidate TO
admiration +; but a fine sunny eoun
tengnce, such as men and women re
spect, and children love-sueh as tn
eood old farmer wore, of whom tn
= little boy said, THAT old gent won'
: lick feller for gettini on behind hin
Z on bis sled"
His manners, like his cOuntenanee
{ are simple and sincere. He don't rul
to meet you, and call you my yer
dear sir" He takes you by the ham
Z with q cordial kindness which recOg
niEes the universal brotherhood {
man, aud impresses you that ne Is
. man who gets above nobody, and nc
I body gets above him.
{ Let us take a peep into his dOmesti
;. life.
. 1t Is a sad truth the world over tins
!, nearly every distinguished literar
man. has had domestic troubles, II
= sulting in separation from their wives
Politicians have had but little bette
luck. a hunger-bitten, seedy scru
mSrries wife who is only too goo
: for him. By and by the wheel of fol
tune turns him up In Congress, Q