The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-27
THE ADMINISTRATION.

was conceived for the purpose OF go
curing for 1t a sort Of popular approba-
ton and sympathy to bolster It up in
anticipation OF the criticism to which 1t
will be submitted when Congress meets,
It may not be out OF place 10 pass ia re-
view the claims 1t urges for the COM
mendation OF the country. The two
striking exoellenees It's friends claim for
it, and Of which they have already be-
sought the appreciation Of the people
themselves by the most direct appeal.
are the Southern policy and Civil Ser
vice reform. These are the two dis
tlnctive features Of the Administration.
and upon them will the public approba~
ton be given or withheld. We are not
disposed to deny Mr.. Hayes any credit
that Ia due him, but we do insist upon
an honest judgment In the matter, and
most earnestly protest against the
extravaganza of his claims to our indy
Ing gratitude as we'll as against the
attempt to shuttle out OF sight the true
Significance and motives of his acts by
overwhelming them with gush and
bathos.
Az for the Southern policy, 80 far as 1t
is meant to imply the withdrawal Of the
troops from the South and the relega-
ton to the States OF their inherent right
to control their own domestic affairs
without Federal Intervention or super.
vision, we can only say that this is the
one thing we have consistently fought
for through twelve long years, and. In
this long and ut last triumphant contest,
we have known but one relentless foe,
and that was the party to which Mr..
Hayes owes his accession, we will not
say election, TO the Presidency. How.
then, at this late day does 1t chance that
this policy should be called Mr.. Hayes
policy, and that he should assume the
whole credit for the great benefits that
have resulted from iii
Let us examine his responsibility In
the matter and weigh the justice Of this
claim. In passing upon this It Ia neces-
sary to take into consideration the cir
cumstances under which he acted. The
House had declined peremptorily to
pass an army appropriation except
upon the express stipulation that no
part of the army was to be used in sus-
tanning the usurpatory State govern
ments In the South. It was we'll known
that such an appropriation would never
be made except upon the adoption OF
this same Southern policy, and in a
short time the old policy Of reconstruc-
ton and satrapy would have necessarily
come to an end, for the reason that the
Executive would not have had soldier
at Its command with which to enforce
It's tyrannies.
The measure thus was the policy Of
the Democratic House Of Representa-
tives, who enforced It's adoption by the
immediate use of it's own powers, and
not Of Mr.. Hayes, who merely conceded
what he knew full we'll he could not re-
fuse, and only after formal notifica-
ton from the House and an actual re-
fusal to make an appropriation. He
merely made q virtue Of necessity. and
the utmost credit he deserves Is for do
Ing promptly and with good grace
what he might have postponed doing
for few weeks only. to be forced to it
at last under humiliating circum-
stances.
But this Is not the only compulsion
under which Mr.. Hayes acted. He
knows quite as we'll as other well in
formed people, that he never could
have attained his present position,
even after the count Of the Electoral
Commission and the trickery Of aliunde
Joe, had he not pledged himself point
eddy to the abandonment of the policy
Of his party and the adoption Of that Of
the Democrats in his dealings with the
South. Mr.. Stanley Matthews, his
broker In this transaction, denies, with
q vast show OF indignation, that there
was any bargain" made. The Cincin-
natl Commercial says, In commenting
on this denial, "Tnere may have been
understanding, but there was no bar
GAIN" Well. we won't bubble about
terms, but this understanding" IL you
will, was very definite and Of charac-
ter that admitted Of no doubtful infer
ences on either side.
Here we have plain, unvarnished
statement OF Mr.. Hayes adoption Of
the so-called Southern policy, and now
let us take up the OWL Service reform
and turn that about for inspection. The
President had scarcely got warm In his
seat before he issued his famous order,
in which he announced that no Federal
influences should be brought to bear
upon local elections; that Federal ap-
pointees should not be allowed to parti-
cipate in political organizations, or to
control the party machinery, and that
assessments for campaign funds would
no longer be tolerated, A few post
masters were made examples OF, but
+hot xroo hofore the eyipenciaa IF tho