The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-12
BEN HILL ON YES.
A RAsPzNG REVIEW GR THE PRESENT
ADMINISTRATIONS,

What Was Promised When lit Wekvs is.Gs
0fHce-HOw those Promises Have ssf st,
Redeemed-Rewa of the Preat1enGs
Thieves The Difference Between
Hayes and Johnson.
ATLANTA, Ga, October 2, 1871.
Ny Dear Sb'-In this day of much printing II
Is almost impossible to have ones opinions Oh
because MISREPRESENTATION is SO easy. 1 have
never cast any "surs on the President" !
have never ;, expressed any bitterness towards
have never com mplained or induged in pique
because Mr. Hayes did not appoint persons to
Office who wore recommended by me: I have
me appoans as aa and daHs Rsve rsag
desired 10 see the civil service improved. es-
pecially In the South I trnst, no mar who
charge of my public duties, am incapable OF
being Influenced by personal pignes and oils
Wth me al pers2nal feesngs
Ba Ss ,S thi nRss I'D fSs
pointedin Mr. Hayes and in his admfnistratioD.
Ii my grievance were only personal, the world
would meyer suspect 1t in my official conducs
lates only to our national character and the
public veal that / make known it's existence
and will proceed to set forth briefly the reasons
/ believe that what Is known as our civil SER
vice.. as 1t now exists and has long existed. is q
Crime grin against popular eyliza
many troubles and corruptions in the past, and
if not thoroughly reformed will surely under
mine and DESTROY, our free institutions: will
lief They have been long and we'll considered
and have produced absolute conviction. / al
veor d bs1nas a6ho5 as that party oga ITO 3
to any but bandits and punderers, and was al
ways disgracefus to men claiming to be patriots
and statesmen. 1t reduces the science Of gov
BTnmBnf the tricks 1Inra hunnnri-
sy of demagogues and the blows Of ruffiBns. T
heard Mr.. Hayes when, in his inaugural ad-
purpose, Of civil service reform. TO say / was
pleased would feebly express the truth. In
spite of my conviction, that he was not elected
frauds for which be- ieved he was not respon
sible, I felt willing to bury this last and greatest
wrong with the many that had preceded 1t, and
bic, and unite my humble efforts in support OF
policy which, in my judgznent, promised es-
cape to our whole country from all such wrongs
What is spoken Of as Mr.. Hayes Southern
policy was OF far less significance., This South
ern policy was q necessity of the situation. Mr.
Hayes had no power to avoid it. The end Of
carpet bag piundering in the South and dis
grace to the nation had come by events. Even
Se Cen saa aan m say a h9 Go9
States and maintain robbers in power But
with our CORRUPT and ever corrupting civil ser,
vice the situation was different, This evil had
its origin before the war II had grown up
under the nurture Of the leaders of parties. It
had pushed it's brazen supporters and benef-
grown and strengthened with every year. and
seemed to have entrenched itself impreg uably
during Gen. Grants administration. When
therefore, in the very day of its insolent
power, in the very midst Of its pampered
courtiers, and on the very field Of its greatest
sway. Mr.: Hayes announced in clear an unfal-
tering voice bis purpose to strangle this hydra
of many heads. he seemed to exhibit the cour-
age; manliness and and patriotism Of one worthy to
hopes Of the man, and several early, free and and
frank interviews which I felt encouraged to
seek with him greatly strengthened and on
Now. my friend. It is tEse utter and siekening
disappointing ent which these hopes have expe-
rienced, and nothing else, which has forced
and which have been falselyconstrued by Re-
publican papers to express personal bitterness
and hostility on my part toward Mr.. Hayes. In
my opinion, Mr.: Hayes has utterly failed to i'm
prOVe-1ndeed, has strangely thrown aWay-an
opportunity to make for himself name worthy
to be enrolled with that of WASHINGTON, be-
conferred on MIS- country benefit quite equal
to any conferred by Washington himself. He
unequal to his opportunity. He has. shown
himself unequal In that he has utterly failed to
realize that the Chief Magistrate of q great
country has no personal friends. no personal
enemies. and owes no personal obligations, but
is under obligations only to his country, and to
that country's honor, glory, prosperity, consti
portunity to honor himself and even his coun-
try by recognizing an obligation to reward
those who by frauds most disgraceful to their
country gave him this opportunity. He has
thrown away the grandest opportunity ever
given to man, only that he might give offices
and rewards to as worthless g set Of rapscal-
become President by reason of a crime, and yet
himself not be tainted or even culpable. Twice,
in our history. have men become Presidents by
reason Of crime, Andrew Johnson became
President by reason Of a wicked and foul assas-
sination. Mr.. Hayes became President by rea-
son Of wicked and foul conspiracy to change.
and which did change, the ballots of the peo-
pie after those. ballots had been cast Yet each
becam7 President through the forms Of the
constitution and laws.
How did Mr. johnson deal with those who
committed and were charged with aiding to
commit COM II the crime by which he became presi-
such vigor that, as all the world now believe. an
innocent woman was hanged. How has Mr..
Hayes dealt with, those, VINO com mitted, and
nit, the crime by which he became President
II you will examine the list, from the humblest
manager OF the election precincts in Florida
as they are now in mockery called and up to
and through the Electoral Commission, and
show me one, BLACK or white. high or low. who
is known to be guilty, or who is pected OF the
guilt OF this, crime,, who has not received or
been offered an office. you will relieye to that
ing over these sickening Developments. There
was woman charged to be among the con-
spirators in both crimes In Mr.. Johnson's
case Mrs. Surratt, protesting her innocence with
an honest Woman,s tears, an and devoted moth;
hungl In Mr.: Hayes case. Agnes jerks, con-
tossing her guilt in brazen gbberish never be-
fore euualed, receives an Office of good pay
and little work in in the Treasury. and that.
toned worth. with hungry children, and hus-
ban bands slain in battle were rudely turned away
stead a 2 Of fleeing as criminal, Wilkes Booth
one who had rendered the latter good service,
and Mr. johnson had entertained him at the
what would the world have said What would
you say
Letters have been produced before the Potter
committee, written by Republican members of
Congress, which were written to Republican
friends and not intended for publication. which
strikipgly. exhibit the superior influence of Ke-
logg, Packard. Wells and Anderson at the
Executive Mansion. In other ways we know
now that almost every person conn ected with
the fraud has claimed or exercised special in
fuence or favor at the White House. But the
contrast may be stated in one short sentence.
In Mr.. Johnson's case all the criminals, real or
suspected, were specially marked for punish
ment. In Mr.. Hayes case all the criminals,
,aofc ataI o;o1Ir