The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1876-11-09
GOVERNOR HAYES.
FROM the New York Herald.

WALTZ obA441CA VI MI AAdBCop " e uAU5s
express our entire dissent from the eulogy
of this correspondent. So far as We are
able to judge from this record Mr.. Hayes
is a man some parts of whose conduct
may be approved, while no part of it can
be admired. We look upon him as a
mediocre, well intentioned gentleman,
who mas been lifted by the accidents of
politics to a position to which he had no
title founded on personal qualifications.
He has none of the elements of great
and commanding character; neither the
breadth of intellect, the force of will nor
the ascendency over other men with
which nature stamps man born fOrlead-
ship. He is immeasurably inferior to
Morton, Blaine, COnkling and half a
dozen other republicans that might be
named in the qualities which fit man
for influences over other minds and make
him felt as a potent force in politics. We
believe Mr.. Hayes to be honest, but not
more honest than hundreds of thousands
of citizens who are plain tilIers of the soil
or who gain their livelihood by mechani-
cal skill. He is not eminent as a lawyer,
was not eminent as a soldier, he made no
figure in congress as a legislator, and
there are probably few counties in Ohio
which could not furnish as useful a gov
ernOr. We have nothing to say against
the services rendered in public stations
by well-meaning mediOcrity, but we are
unable to see that a small man is rem
dered great or admirable By nOmina-
ton for the presidency.
Our correspondent maintains that Mr..
Hayes, if elected, will free himself from
party trammels and exercise a noble in
dependence, guided only by justice. We
wish we could believe 50; but We are IN
able to find anything in Mr.. Hayes ca
reer to warrant so pleasing an exPecta-
ton. During the three years ne was in
congress he was as Obedient to party be-
hests as the mob OF ordinary members
That was the period of enormous land
grabs for railroads, and the record proves
that Mr.. Hayes voted for them all. 1t
would be a poor compliment to his sagac-
ity to say that he acted in ignorance; but
not even this lame excuse can be- pleaded,
for 3Ir. EIihu B. Washburne, our minis
ter to France, was then in the house and
distinguished himself by bold and Wig
Orous opposition to those wasteful, swim
ding grants of the public lands. Unfor-
tunately for the claim of independence
which is set up for Mr.. Hayes he never
voted on such occasions with Mr..
Washburne, but always with the major
ity of his party. Our correspondent seeks
materials of eulogy in Mr.. Hayes action
as governor Of Ohio, but he fails to
adduce a single instance in which Cover
nor Hayes has acted in opposition to his
party.
Our correspondents asserts that on the
southern question the managers of the
republican canvass audaciously misrep-
resent their candidate" We are told,
with great emphasis, that Gov. Hayes
deprecates the waving of the bloody
shirt" and "does not believe in new
stirring OfsusPicion, hatred and strife. "
Conceding that these are the real senti-
ments Ct Mr. Hayes, they only prove
what cipher he is in the politics of his
own party. The republican stump speak
ers and party organs, one and all, are
waging the campaign on the southern is
sue, which, we are assured, Gov. Hayes
so strongly disapprOves. Such contempt
uous disregard of the wishes of their can
didate proves that they consider him a
a weak mana mere hgure-head in their
canvass. 1t shows hat he has no moral
or political influence among his own sup
porters. If he has none now, how can
he be expected to exert any after his
election? Among the able men of his
party he cannot find the materials OF 3
cabinet which will indOrse his own views,
for all the able men Of the party, inClud
ing even George William Curtis, are in
dustriously waving the bloody shirt and
trying to make the campaign turn on
that issue. Can Mr.. Hayes administer
the government without a cabinet? Is
he strong enough to override all the able
men OF his party If the republicans
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