The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-16
Ben Hill on the President.
4 SCATIIING REVIEW OF TIE
AID DEMONSTRATIONS.

ADMINISTRATION.
..CiviI Scrvicco Dangers and the
Failure to Meet Thcm-Presidcn.
tia, Bencficiarics of C~rimes-Per-
jury Elevated into Virtue and
Forgery into an Art.
ATLANTA. Ga. October y. 1873.
My DEAR SIR: In this day Of much print
Ing il is almost inupuSSib!" to have ones
opinions TT motives correctly represented. ]
/ suppose il is because Misrepresentation Is so
easy. | have never cast amy "Slur> on me
President" have never expressed amy "hit-
trrnrSS towards Mr.. Hayes" because ] have
never felt amy. | have never complained or
INDUCED in amy piquc because Mr.. Hayes did
not appoint persons To office who wrr" rc'nnl-
! mrndrd 10y me. ! have never rrcuinlncldcd
any. have endorsed Som" applicants US
, qualified. and have greatly desired to see the
civil service improv"d-"Slrrially In IN"
south. trust no man who knows me needs
to he assured that. i'm the discharge of my
public duties, lam incapable OF being intlu-
/ cucrl by personal piqurS and dlsnlpnint-
relations. whether OF friendship or otherwise.
are suborlinatcd to the public good. l;ut !
should he very u%ncandid il | did not confess
that have been most gricvnuslN ~tiSappnint-
! ct i'm Mr.. Hayes and In his administration.
IL my grievances were only personal the
world would never Suspect ii In my official
conduct and opinions. 1t Is because my
grievance relates only to our national char
nctcr and the public veal that | make known
It's existence. and will proceed to set forth
briefly the reasons for II.
believe that what is known as our "civil
service" rs it now exists, and has long exist
cd. is crime against popular government
and civilization. believe IT. has been the
chief cause Of many troubles and cOrrup-
lions in the past. and, If not thoroughly re-
formed, will surely undermine and destroy
our free. institutions. | will not stop here to
diScuSst the grounds of this belief. They have
bCcn long and we'll considered and have pro-
duccd absolute conviction. ! always did a,-
hor that Old party slogan, / the victor be-
longs the SpDilS.' 1t WIS never suited to amy
but bandits and plundcrcrS and was always
diSsraccful in men claiming to be patriots
and Statement. 1t reduces the science of gov
eminent 10 the tricks nf gamblers, the hypnc-
riSy Of dclna"O"urS, and the blows Of ruff
ans. / heard Mr.. Hayes when. in his inau-u-
raj address, he announced his policy, nr ratli-
cr his purpose Of civil service reform. 70 say
7 WAS pleased. would fcrbly express tn" truth.
In spite of my conviction that hr was nor
elected by III" people. but owed his Office to
unmiti":it-l frauds for which I believed he
WAS not rrspanSihic. / felt wiI!ing 10 bury
this last and greatest wron" with the many
which had preceded 1t. and for which all sides
were NOR" or less responsible, and unite my
humble efforts in support of IL policy
wllich. in my Judgment. promised escape Va
our whole" country from all such wrongs III
the future.
What is spoken Of as Mr.. Hayes Southern
policy was nf fur less Significance. This
Southern policy WAS n necessity Of the Situn-
ton. Mr.. Hayes had no power to avoid II.
The end OF carpct-bhg %plundcr:ng in the
South and disgrace 10 the nation had cnInr
by cvcn.S. Even General Grant saw that the
army could no longer he used To settle con-
tested elections i'm the States, and maintain
robbers in power, But with our corrupt and
was different. This evil had It's origin before
the war. il had grown mp ul:dcr the nurture
Of the leaders Of the parties. 1t had pushed
its brazcn supporters and hrncIiciarirSt to the
front seats of authority. 1t had grown and
strcngthcd with every year, and seemed tn
have cntrenchcd itself i~mprcgnably during
General Grants administration. When.
therefore, in tive very day of It's inSOlcnt pow.
rr. in The very midst OF its pampcrcd cour-
tiers, and on the very field of its greatest
sway, Mr.. Hayes announced In clear and
un .iltrring voice his purpose to Stranglc this
hydra Of many heads, he seemed TO exhibit
worthy to be President. This exhibition
gave INC high hopes Of the man, and several
, early, free and frank interviews which ! felt
encouraged to seek with hii.' greatly strength
cncd and encouraged these hopes.
Now, my friend, il is the uttcrand sickcn-
ing disappointment which these hopes have
experienced, and nothing else, which has
forced from me the few words to which you
niludc. and which have been falsely conStrn.
ell by tcpuhlican papers to express personal
bitterness and hostility on my part oward
Mir. Hayes. In my opinion, Mr.. Hayes has
utterly failed to unprecedented, has
make for himself Il name worthy to be enrol.
led with that Of Washington, because that OPP
p0rtunity improved would have conferred on
his country Il benefit quite equal To any con.
ferred by Washington himself. He has fail.
cd because he has shown himself utterly unr-
quail tnhiS opportunity. He has shown him
self unequal in That he has utterly failed tn
realize That the chief magistrate of Il grcti
country has no personal friends, 10 personal
cnimicS, and owes no personal obligations
but is under obligations only to his country,
and II that cOuntry'S honor, glory, pruSpcri.
ty, constitution and laws. he has thrown
away his OPP ortunity to honor himself and
even his country by recognizing an Ub!iG;I-
tlon f. reward those who Ivy frauds most dis
graceful 10 their country gave him hiSopl'"r'
tuEity. lie has thrown away the grhndtrl
opportunity ever given 10 Il man, only thai
lie might givcof offices and rewards tnaS worth
less q set Of rar>caiiionS rs ever uissracrd l;u
mani.y. Ainan may bee Inc President bS
reason Of Il crime, AMI yet hiINSrlf not h,
tainted or even ci!!pablc. Twice, in our his
tory have men became Presidents by Reason
of crime. Andrew johnson became lrcS!.
dent by reason OF II wickcda and foul asS;isSina
ton. Mr.. Hayes became President by rra'
son of Il wicked and foul conspiracy t.
change, and which did change, the ballots &"
the penplcafIcr these ballots sad been cast
Yet each became President through the forms
OF The constitution aud laws.
How did Mr.. Johnson deal with those who
. cDinIlllttru ana WHO were CllhrGiu Win ana
in. 10 C." nluit the rriErr by which he became
president? lie pursued them for punish
mcnt with such Ni='r that, as the world nov
b'iicE e., "n innOcrIt wLlnalI WIS hanged
How has Mr.. Hayes dealt with those wirI
committed and those who were charged with
aIlin" to commit The crime Icy which he he
came President: If YOU Will examine the
list from the l:uinl'lrst manager of the cleo
ton -lrccinc:s in Florida and louisiana
through The riSili!'. statesmen as they ar,
now in mncicry called. ard up TO an'
through the electoral commission, and SlOM
me one. black or whit high or low, who il
know II 10 he guilty. or who Is suspected @
the %uilI Of this crime, who has not received
or lccn offered an Office. yuu will relieve Il
! that extent the pain and Ilorli:icaiion ! fec
in looking over these Slrkclil" d"Nc!bi'
mentS. There was a woliian charged to ht
anon" the c.nsrirHtnrS ia both crimes. Ii
Mr.. JoirSoI'S ease Mrs. Surrat, pruicStin.
her innocence with an lmnc.. wnlnan's tear
AMI II devoted mothers entrca,ics. was chain
ed and mnrkri and lni2. In Mr.. Hayes
l.: -, Agnes jerks, r"uHr>Sin" her guilt il
braZ,n .ihlcriSh Fever before "pual;cd, re
ccircS an Office Of .oul pay anI little work
in the treasury. ard that Ia" III Il time vile:
MANY ladies Of rn.lur>Iiulrd worth, witt
hungry children, and husbands slain il la!
lie, wcrr rnicly turned away with the :rut
ing as Il criminal, Wilkes Tooth rad solighI
! IL" prr>,.l.r uf Andrew Johnson as one wllt
I, nic.cl the latter cool service, and Mr.
Johnson had entertained bin at the cXcru
tive mansion and given him an office, wiai
would The world have said? Wlat woul'
| :ulISaN?
Letter.. have been produced before the Pot.
= Ter committee, written by Republican mem
hcrs of Congress, which were written to Re
publican friends and moi intended for puh'i
catirn. which >irikingiy exhibit the %SulnrinI
Influence Of kellogg. Packard. and We'll:
at the executive mansion. I'm other ways W,
know that nl.ioS: every person CONNECTED
with the fr;,W! has GAINED or exercised >iir
ciai influenced or favor ut the White House