Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-07
MR. HAYEs, MKsS4GE.

MIR. Hayes has submitted to Congress and
the public in general the last message he
will have the privilege of writing, except in
the capacity of a private citizen. Il 10 a
voluminous document, and in a literary
point of view is equal to most OF such pro-
auctions of recent date. 1t is not, however,
remarkable for craftsmanship, but rather
for the narrowmindednsss thGt Gag all along
charactized the man who has for four years
occupied an Office to which he has neither
legal nor moral title.
Opening with the hackneyed and bypo-
health and prosperity, Mr.. Hayes proceeds
to refer to the facility with which power is
transferred under our form of government
from one person to another. He then takes
up the cudgel on behalf of the
colored race, and gives voice 10 the
SANDER that has been the stock in trade CT
the Republican party for years past that
colored men in the vsriouI parts of the
South have been deprive of the elective fran
chise. 1t is hardly possible that man o.
cuppying the position that Mr.. Hayes has
done should be 30 lacking in information,
and so blind to the most potent facts as to
Sassert what is not susceptible of proof, and
is, indeed, contradicted most emphatically
by the best evidence in the world. The
negroes are not deprived of their right to ex-
ercise the elective franchaise in any State in
the Union. They are accorded more rights
and privileges than poor white men receive
in New England, and Mr.. Hayes might have
done greater service by calling attention to
ers than in wasting so much space upon q
race that enjoys more privileges than are &C.
corded to the Caucassians. If he had even men
toned the expressions that the white slaves
of capital are subjected to, his plea for the
negroes would not have appeared as con-
spicuously mere partisan clap-trap.
Mr.. Hayes is benevolent. His benevo-
lence of heart has been noteworthy during
his entire term of ofice-when the people
footed the bills. This sentiment crops ont
in the recommendation thst his predecessor
in Office be created captain general of the
army at good round salary, with provision
for his retirement, presumably on full pay.
The suggestion will probably be unheeded
by Congress. 1t certainly ought to be treat
ed with absolute contempt. Grant does not
deserve more honors than he has already re-
ceived, and the proposition to make him q
live pensioner upon the bounty of the peo-
MI ;, "a of kbo ola
alton.
Mr.. Hayes has a good deal to say about
civil service reform. His hints ere not
without merit, but the fact that he neglected
to carry out his own ideas and throws out
the suggestions for the benefit of his sue
cessor will detract largely from their value
He was too cowardly to enforce his theories,
but allowed the basest of his subordinates to
spit upon his civil service order No. 1, yet
he has the efrontery, on the eve of his retire.
ment from Office, to insist that Congress
shall place restrictions upon his successor
that he himself refused to recognize.
Taking the message as a whole it is not s
bad one. 1t is precisely what was expected
oo1oAno VI LILO poItiSnh couCuCb Vi LHo
executive and his associates glorifcation
of the results of the financial policy pursued,
and an appropriation Of the blessings of
divine providence to the Republican
party. Mr.. Hayes has simply proved that
his administration has been fortunate one,
fact that everybody has known all along.
That our relations with foraign powers have
been friendly is not the credit of the State
department, for there has bean no occasion
for a rupture of peace. No international
questions of consequence have arisen within
the past four years, nor is there any likeli-
hood that they will arise in the four years to
come. What sort of President Mr.. Hayes
might have made in time of emergency will
never be known. That in very ordinary
times he made very ordinary President
will probably never be disputed.