Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-03-25
intended for reform Mr.. Sherman

| AutChuOu AL AOtO1h OhOA uidh
calmly converted into the simple pro-
cess of turning out his political enc
mics and putting in his friends. and
Mr.. Sherman, as | was really made
to understand, was one of my mas.
| ters.
I loathed in my heart the leprous
criminals who had conceived and
executed the daring frauds in Lou.
isiana and Florida. But no sooner
had taken the oath of Office than I
ascertained that my nearest friends
and sponsors had promised them not
merely protection, but high promo
ton and other rewards, and l was
compelled to execute those promises,
under penalty of a complete discov-
cry in every shocking detail of the
stupendous crime of which I seemed
to be enjoying the fruits. 1t is need
less to pursue the narrative. 1t is
enough to say that, except one Gaze
nave, who was paid in cash, they
were all-visiting statesman, Return
ing Board knaves, forgers, thieves,
secret negotiators and counsel before
the Electoral Commission pen
stoned upon your Treasury. The
last of those nominations, that of the
notorious Stanly Matthews, for AS
sociate Justice of the Supreme Court,
is even now pending for the Senate.
But these was still more grievous
humiliation TO be endured. When
1 realized my defeat on the day after
the election, I declared truly that
the sharpest pang I then felt arose
from my apprehension concerning
the fate of the colored Republicans
in the contested Southern States. /
now learned that in order to secure
the completion of the fraudulent
count, my friends had pledged me to
abandon those colored Republicans,
and to hand over those States to the
Democrats, who claimed them, on
precisely the same grounds as MIR.
Tilden might have claimed the Pres
idency. l had no recourse but tor
comply. This step, however, was
only less fatal to me than would
have been a-refusal. It lost mel
will not say the respect, tar.to that4 4
had no claim-but the support of the
earnest Republicans, who declared
that if was elected, so were Pack
ard and Chamberlain. 1t was soon
plain that they, too, regarded me as
Fraud in new sense.
This detection left me practically
without party, and sought to sup
ply the deficiency by an alliance with
the Southern Democracy. / out
lined a magnificent and dazzling
scheme OF internal improvements to
be carried out in the South at the
general expense, and l blew, with
all the breath that was in me, the
trump OF resurrection over the tomb
of the old Wing party. But nobody
would trust Fraud; and but one
solitary Wing emerged to my blast,
in the person of the late Alexander
H. Stephens. Having lost my own
party, it was evident to them that
my power to execute was less than
my inclination to promise, and they
prudently declined a coalition which
on my side was based on nothing
more substantial than the few offices
which had not already been distrib-
uted.
Under these circumstances it will
be seen that the total failure of my
Fraudulent Administration was
foregone conclusion, and long since
discovered that I must content my
self with drawing the salary of the
Presidency in advance, and hoard
ing what could be saved from it by
rigid economy and sordid affecta-
ton of temperance. This, with a
scrupalous provision for few per.
sonal friends, such as my family
physician and my son Webb, at the
public expense, has been my only
solace under the sad humiliations Of
these latter months of my residence
in the White House. Conscious that
all parties, and even men OF no par
ty, looked forward with grateful
sense of relief to the period of my
final departure for Ohio, l have felt
that some explanation was due to
myself and to the public of the diff
ticulties which inevitably environ
fraudulent President. Had l been
honestly elected, l could, no doubt,
have done much for the reformation
of the public abuse pointed out with
such emphasis by Mr.. Tilden. and
mildly alluded to by Mr.. Carl Schurz
in my own letter of acceptance.
But was the slave of my political
creators; the paralysis of the orgin-
al fraud pervaded my entire Admin
istration.
If, in what is here written, my
countrymen shall find anything to
extenuate my failings, or anything
to soften the judgment which must
follow me into history, the object OF
this, my farewell address to the
swindled people of the United States,
will have been accomplished.
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES.