Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-03-10
Poor HAYES.

universal contempt Even so non COM
initial paper as the New York Herald
acknowledges this feeling. and remarks
that 1.-THE general contempt and dislike
of Mr.. Hayes, felt and openly expressed
by public men of both parties. rests, we
believe, on sound basis Gtalics ours)-
that he took the Presidency, knowing he
was not elected" and that paper further
goes on to say, after briefly commenting
on his administration, that sit is his
fame, and not the country's interests,
which has suffered less by his four
wears in the White House" The
great trouble with our New York
contemporary, however. is that it always
fails to express itself positively on any
subject until after the time has elapsed
when its positiveness might have good
effect Had it warned Mr.. Hayes in
time, he might have possibly escaped the
public odium which is now his future
portion, for from the first nothing was
more clearly evident that general infamy
was the only consequent upon his accept
ing his Presidential Office under the pc
culiar circumstances with which he en-
tered it.
Up to the time that he took that Office
Mr. Hayes enjoyed the reputation of
being "a lucky man" and if any one in
the world ever deserved such reputa-
ton he did, Without any unusual
ability, but merely because of in
fluences for which he was wholly
irresponsible, and over which he
had not the slightest control,
be had been repeatedly:elected to Con
gress from his district in Ohio, and had
seen thrice chosen Governor of his
state. LIS in spite-of Al these oppOr
tunisies Tor aSsstinction,a fheo aequir-
ed no fame nor isftpute. and all
The, credit that he ever gaiued was due
lolhis negative consultation, rs- which
be was indebted solely to nature, aud
which, while he was unable to accoms
plish anything to bring him distinguish
ed honor, prevented him from attracting
public attention to himself as an imbe-
Gle. Indeed, it was to his natural weak
ness alone that he was indebted
for his nomination TO the Presidency,
for at the time such nomination was
made the Radical party was sorely put
to it to find candidate who could carry
its banner with any hope of success.
Official and personal corruption had so
identified itself with the party, that to
have selected as a candidate for the
Presidency any man prominent in its
councils would have been to invite
certain defeat 1t was at this juncture
that the name of Rutherford B. Hayes
was suggested as being available from the
very fact that he had been in public life
long enough to be tolerably well known,
but had not evinced strength of charac-
ter sufficient to make himself unpopular
Hence it was that he was selected as the
Radical standard bearer, and, no doubt
as Unexpectedly to himself as to the en-
tire country, found himself presented to
the psopIe as a candidate for the Presi-
dency.
u ? to this moment to IIr, Hayes was
eminently due the praenomen of
lucky" Without ability; without
force of character; with nothing to rec
ommend him except negative qualities
usually regarded as undesirable, he had
been honored far GbOve better men, and
in addition to this had inherited wealth,
which, but a short time before
he received the Presidential nomination,
had been augmented by the death of
rich bachelor uncle. Yet with all
these favors of fortune, it seems that the
tickle goddess was not weary of smiling
upon him. Re made the race for the
Presidency. and was badly defeated, but
still, lucky man that he was, his very
defeat afforded him the opportunity of
gaining more real and lasting honor than
he had ever attained through his pre-
Vious successes.
The history of the great conspiracy
which overturned the will of the Ameri-
can peopls snd placed a candidate re-
jected at the polls in the White House is
100 well known to need repetition, Suf-
flee it to say that Mr. Hayes, after hav-
ing acknowledged his defeat, was fully
cognizant of the fact thet such a con-
spiracy was in progress. And hers vas
presented to him the greatest good
fortune of his life. Had he then come
out like an honest man and Fepudiated
that conspiracy, declared that he would
have nothing to do with the contem-
plated fraud, and that he would emphati-
cally decline to accept the Presidency by
what he was aware was an in
famous title, ms would have Gov
cred himself with glory. He would
have received the universal plaudits
of honest men; his name would have
been mentioned with honor for genera.
tons to come; he would have left be.
hind him fame which any man might
have envIed, and even if he had not
have been subsequently elevated to
legitimate honor, could have passed the
of his days in comfortable
wealth, standing high in the esteem of
his fellow citizens.
1t was indeed a glorious opportunity.
He had pre- eminently struck the tide in
his affairs which could easily have been
taken at the flood, and led him ownward
to fame and fortune. But the tempta-
ton which beset him was too great to
be resisted. The prospect of
salary of $4,000 a year for four
years blinded him to all else. He
omitted to take advantage of his
chances, and though he now retires
from office with more that half his salary
saved and added to his former wealth
beyond the actual dollars and cents he
has accumulated, he has nothing. There
are none to-day so poor as do him
reverence. Public contempt is his lot.