The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-02-17
The Nepotism and Niggardliness Of the
Retiring President.

As the end of Mr. Hayes's admlnlstra.
ton approaches it sinks lower in public
estimation. Even those who have hith.
e1to attempted to defend it at last give
mp the attempt, and confess that it has fal.
len 10 almost as low plane al Grants
The Presidents appointment Of Stanley
Matthews, his kinsman, to place on the
ssSupreme bench for which he would not
have been thought of except Tor their
relationship, is universally considered
about as bad as, anything which, Grant
was: s:gnilty of Nor is this an isolated
case Of such favoritism. Repeated in
stances have occurred where army OFF,
Gers have been promoted over the heads
of scores of men their superiors in train.
ingsand experience, solely because OF
their relationship to or intimacy with
tie Hayes family. One case of this sort
which recently occurred isS especially
3 fragrant. It has Just leaked out that
ssatler Gen. Hancock's defeat last Novem-
gber he wrote a letter to Mr.. Hayes in
which he made personal request that
he would grant to friend of his (Col
Mitchell) who has been long associated
with him in warSand peace and is now
member of sstaff, the appointment Of
assistant.inspector- general, for which he
was every way qualified by length and
fidelity of service. Gen. Hancock, in
his letter, modestly referred to the fact
that the fortunes of political war had
forbidden him an opportunity to recog.
4 ;nize Col. Mitchelps merits, adding that
he had no complaint to make for himself,
but would consider it great favor if
Mr.. Hayes could grant this, his sole re-
quest. It was of no avail, however. A
Capt. Breckenridge, zone of the junior
captains in. the service, had married a
niece of Mrs. Hayes, and when Mr..
Hayes became President. he found his
reward. He was. first jumped over the
heads oea dozen senior captains to the
charge Of the artillery at the Washing
ton Arsenal, which is one of the snuggest
positions in the army, and not long ago
he was appointed assistant.inspector-
general, with the rank and pay Of major,
though to reach this place he had to be
lifted over fi,,ty officers of higher rank,
each of whom was better entitled to the
place. !,
No President whom We have ever had
5-npt even Grant with all his favoritism-
has done more to demoralize the army
than Mr.. HAYES. Coming into the Office
with loud professions on the subject of
Temperance, he has become notorious for
the wholesome. manner in which he; has
overruled the verdicts of courts. martial
sdismissing and suspending officers for
drunkenness. Some of these cases have
been as bad as any on record, and had
not one redeeming feature; yet political
influence, or something else, has availed
tosecure the restoration of the offenders.
Mr.. Hayes is reported as telling recent
caller that he had got beyond the psint
of caring what the newspapers said about
him, and he certainly acts so.
One of the questions most discussed in
Washington just now is the policy of the
new administration on the wine question.
Mr.. Hayes's course in regard TO this, as
most other matters, has been inconsis.
tent, and it may be doubted whether he
has not harmed the cause of temperance
more ,ban be has helped it. People can
understand and9espect.a man who de-.
clines to drink wine himself and refuses
to set it before his guests. But nobody
can have much respect for a man who
fails to provide wine for his guests-es.
pecially when as at state dinner they
are not so much his guests as those of the
country whose hospitality he dispenses--
and yet goes to other peoples tables and
drinks their wine. 1t gives color for the
story that the real reason why no wine is
furnished at the White House is not
because Mr.. Hayes has any moral prsju-
dice against it, but because he wanted to
save the expense. It certainly is Q fact
that no occupant of the White. House
ever descended to such petty and even
discreditable shifts to saya money as Mr..
Hayes. Gen Garfield is nota hypocrite,
and TIE general expectation is that.he
will provide wine certainly at state din.
ners. He is fond ofgood living himself,
and he is not the sort of o man to drink
wine at other peoples tables and then
refuse to set it before them ut his own
table.