The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-03-20
A TERRIBLE VERDICT.

the Fraudulent Administration, and
we have been at some palma to exam
inc all the criticisms which have ap.
peared in our exchanges. At this VIII
ting we are enabled TO present quite
complete summary OF the comments of
the press gu this subject. We have
read the opinions expressed by up
wards of one hundred journals, Of
every shade of political opinion and
embracing all the leading daily news
papers published on this side of the
Rncky Mountains. The result ia al
most startling. IF Mr.. Hayes and his
Cabinet enjoy the earnest, unqualified
support OF any daily new spaper. of
any province, belonging to any party.
that paper is not on our exchange list.
Here and there, it is true, an apnlogist
appears, but we look in vain for hear
IS, cordial recommendation of the re-
suits OF his first year OF Administra.
ton as whole. On the other hand
the tenor of the universal criticism
runs all the way from tie guarded Mt
terances of disappointment and cha
grin to the fercest blaze Of invectiye
and the bitterest vis,tations of satire.
Nothing like it has ever happened in
our memory OF to our knowledge iD
the existence of this Government. We
have had Presidents without y party
before, but Mr.. Hayes is the first man
who ever lived in the White House
without friends in Congress, advocates
in the press or adherents among The
people; the only man who ever occn-
pied the Executive NJ nsinn without
either title to the privileges of that
station or power in the exercise If it's
functions. The readiest explanation
Of this phenomenon would probably he
that the defects in his title. or rather
his total absence of title in either egni
ty or morals, whites the official at.
'nosphere about him to such an ex-
tent that no policy nr principle in nd.
ministration can live in it. This ia
the explanation advanced by onr able
though some what extreme eontemp"ra-
~. the New York Sun, and echoed hy
host of equally implacable though less
powerful journals. We accept this ex-
planstion only in part. II ,s an ex
plsnatioB the truth of ~hicl. il whole
Or in part depends upon certain enr-
rent conditions; that IL t" say upon the
methods of administration adopted
and employed by Mr.. Hayes fr"m time
to time, and upon tile character of the
Instruments seircted by him to work
out those methods. The vi.iatei con.
ditiou of the official atmosphere which
envelopes Mr.. Hayes is, in our judg
ment, primarily the effect of the rot
renness of his title, Int it has been
dr.adinlly aggravated by the basenrsS
q, the Observation-Disclosures that have fas-
trned themselves npon him and by the
vileness they have ,iisplayed in mama
giug or mi managing the trusts cuff
did TO them.
Viewed personally, Mr.. Hayes
sermad ut 6rst wei, calculated. by ma
tarr and Ivy his hahus nt thonsht and
sc'on, I" avert lrom himself macy Of
tic evil consequences which we've nat
yFnily to he aPWehenled fr"m the cir
enmstauces of his Presidential o!iNin.
lie was essentially Il likeahlr mau and
suntsct with him invariably left Il
pleasant Impression. He was an hon
rst hearted man; his impulses were ali
peaceful; his aspirations were simple
and unub,rnsive. and his purposes
were patriotic. This much will b- add
mtted by everylmdy who mas enjoyed
sufficient contact with him to be able
IN form an estimate of his personal
character. The questions thus naiu.
rally arise, How does it happen that
such a man has 40 signally tailed to
praeticalize the logic at HIMSELF and
By what bass and unworthy organisms
have the GOOD intentions of this man
been absorbed, poisoned and destroy
cd The answer ia not difficult: The
humiliating failure of Mr. Hiyes' Adj.
rninistratiou has been due TO the fact
that, having taken the Presidency up.
on a sort of sufferance guaranteed by
the apathy Of the people, he was led hy
some my sterions influence TO surrender
the actual management oi his great Of
Gee into the hands of three men, one Of
whom was q criminal, another char
latan and the third a tramp.
To say that these three men we're
utterly wi bout influence among men.
without the Confidence IF the country
and without the support of parties,
would be too mild an expression to
convey any adequate sense of the uni
vsrsal hatred inspired by the cold
blooded greed, avarice aud selfishness
Of one of them, who in known a. John
Sherman; the contempt aus! ,ler,sion
excited by the vapid esotisn, aud III
siderable vanity of another, who liz
known as Eyarts, and the disgust aud
aversion caused By the dupllcity and
treaChery of the thjli. WIN ia know n