The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-08-30
Vhe SemtSneI.
WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 80.
Hayes i'm Congress.

sent him to serve as a national legislator.
If there ever was a time in the history OF
American legislation when a man of any
pretense to ability had an opportunity to
impress himself on the face of public af-
fAirs, that session OF Congress afforded the
supreme and all to be desired occasion.
Just emerging from a great civil convul-
sion, with the whole political and social
fabric o. oue-h the nation in state of
anarchy, that body more than any other
had the eyes of the psople closely fixed
upon il, and to any OF the members who
possessed the elements OF greatness, the
field for the exercise of their abilities was
abundsntly and broadly opened.
Rutherford B. Hayes monopolized a
chair on the floor ofthst important House,
and Rutherford B. Hayes's grandmother,
if the old lady had survived to that time,
woul dhsve filed the congressional vacuum
with about the same efficiency, and have
stirred the current of public events to
about the same degree of agitation. The
journal OF the House for the years '66 and
'67 contains complete record of his tri-
umpns in the arena of federal politics, and
we copy the entire pages wherein his ef-
forts are embraced. What vast sources of
public distress, and what colossal prob
lens of governmental policy we're grsppled
with az d overcome by this political athlete,
can only be correctly appreciated by refer
ence TO the record OF the House, and so we
reprodnce 1t.
Congressional Globe, December 20, 1886: Un-
der the rule for petitions, the following were
presented and referred to the appropriate
committees:
By K. B. Hayes, of Ohio.
pThe petition of Earnest F. Kleinsch midstz, of
Hamilton county, Ohio, for the return of
Sl2 so paid TO the CO lvctor Of the Second Dis
trict of Ohio at tax sale made Without au-
thOrity of law.
This was Rutherford's very first appear
snce. There have been many dramatic
episodes on the floor of Congress, but none
more thrilling and more impressive than
the scene in which the presidential csndi-
date boldly came forward to redress the
grievances of Earnest, and drawing from a
reluctant treasury the reimbursements
for a tax collectors error of 12 so.
The country has been kept in ignorance
of the grounds OF the tsx-cOllector's over
charge. It may have sprung from an ar
bitrary and usurpiDg disposition on tho
part of this government official to impose
of his own power a tax on Mr.. Klein
schmidt for his williul inrosds upon the
English alphabet in the construction OF
his intsrminable name. But with this
aspect ofthe case VS. have naught to do
The Ohio statesman rested on his laurels
then until me I'm of January when the
country was again electrified by a petit
ton.
B, Mr.. Hayes of Ohio.
The petition Of employees OF the Cincinnati
post Office for an increase 81 compensation.
TIE stamp-iickers OF Porkopolis,
through their representatives, invoke the
general government to supply more mOis-
ture TO their dry and psrched lingual pro-
tubersnces, and the country stands in
patient concern and awaits the result.
Again January l6. 1871, by Mr.. Hayes of
Ohio:
Petition for the Cincinnati relief union, that
Congress will adopt measures 10 secure greater
prom ptness and dispatch in acting on appli-
cations for pensions.
And again, Jan. Is. by Mr.. HAYES:
The petition of thirty business men of Gin
curtailment of the currency, and also against
COMPEL ng the national banks 10 redeem
their notes in New York.
Here was an opportunity for q mastery
orstorical spread aud chance TO show up
his intellectual balance in the line OF
finance, but the great Hayes contented
himself with letting his helpless constitu-
EMS argue the case, and not word ia favor
OF the measure from the lips of their tact
i~6 I'D "a of
the Congre ssional minutes.
Again ne com $ to the front with the it,
evitable p5tition.
Feb. 9-By SIR. Hayes OF Ohio:
The petition of Wilson Cary, NJ. Holdings.
head, w. q. White and fifty others, CLERKS
in the Cincinnati postoffice, asking that they
be placed on the same foo ing as regards taxes
or lncOmes as other cltizeas.
How the American eagle must have
longei to cleave the blue ether and soar
away beyond the reach of Rutherford and
that grssping constituency which had its
hsbir alton in the necessitous precincts of
the Cincinnati postoffice
looking further through the index of
the Globe we find again the name of Ruth
erford B Hayes and under 1t remarks
Of" Turning eagerly and snxieusly to
what we vsiuly conceived would be q fin
ished and statistical effort we find the fol-
lowing:
aThe House resumed in committee OF the
whole the consideration OF the miscellaneous
appropriation blu"
Mr., Hayes OF Ohio-"I move To strike out
the following: 'For the purpose Of having
portraits Of the ex-presidents OF the United
States which have been executed under the
contract with the joint committee OF Con gress.
frQu nod n IA Y ad dQr
direction OF the secretary OF the Interior"
And again under the impressive head
of Remarks on the Deficiency Bill" he