The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-08-12
CHANDLER AND HAYES.
How the Michigan Senator Stiffened the
Presidents Backbone.

Ben Perley Poorel
About the time the bill organizing the
Electoral Commission was passed, Mr.. Zach
Chandler called a meeting of the Republican
National Committee in his library, ana in
vited a large number of leading Ohio politi-
clans. who were supposed to be Gov HAYES
personal representatives, to be present After
some ordinary business Mr. Chandler aston
ished everybody by offering his resignation
as chairman of the committee, stating as his
reason that it had become very apparent to
him that he was not enjoying the confidence
of the President-elect and he presumed Gov.
Hayes would prefer TO have some other per
son in whom lac had full confidence to man
age his interests before the Electoral Com
mission.
The CONSERVATION which was caused by
this unexpected announcement is hard to de-
scribe. Governor Hayes friends, fguratively
speaking, got down on their knees and be-
sought him to reconsider his determination
but Chandler was inhexible. They offered him
all that could be offered in Hayes name
position, patronage, anything he could ask
If he would only continue to manage the
campaign. Finally Mr.. Chandler said he
would withdraw his resignation If certain
conditions were complied with and the assu-
rance was given readily. They were easy
conditions and involved no sacrifice upon the
part of President Hayes or his friends. They
were honorable legitimate in every sense,
and should have been voluntary on the part
of the Ohio men. When these conditions
were guaranteed Mr.. Chandler withdrew his
resignation and went To work Their fulfill
ment was to have been immediate, out
months passed. Hayes was inaugurated, Mr..
Chandler bowed out of the Cabinet. his servi-
ces ignored, his counsels rejected. and to the
day of his death those assurances were never
carried out Their fulflllment was never
even begun. Chandler felt this very keenly,
and did not hesitate to denounce openly the
men whose broken promises were the most
regretful remembrances of his long career.
From the time that he was relieved of his
duties at the Interior Department by Secre-
| tary Schurz until the 18th of November. 1878.
| Secretary Chandler did not enter the White
| House. 1t was period of eighteen months,
| and he was in Washington repeatedly dur
| ing that time. but he did not call upon the
| President, nor hold any communication with
| him. He would recommend no one for OF
! fee, and would say to people who sought his
influence:
THE President would not notice my wish
| if I should utter one. | have no influence
\ with this administration. On the 18th of
| November. 1878, newspaper correspondent
| vino knew Mr.. Chandler well was quite as
| tOniShed TO see him coming out of the White
| House grounds, and expressed some surprise.
| He replied:
| ''Come over to my house and I'll tell you
| something" They went to his library,
| which was the front room of the basement
| in his house on III street, where he drew a
| chair up to the fire, and, looking at the cor
respondent in a peculiarly earnest way, he
said
| ''You want to know, l suppose, what I was
| at up there at the White House. I'll tell you.
| | have been trying 10 stiffen the Presidents
backbone" He said it very slowly, and re-
| peated: ''You needn't publish it; am only
| telling you for your own guidance. | came
| down here to Washington (Im sick, and
| wasn't fit to Gomez to stiffen-the-Presi-
| dent's-backbone."
''Did you succeed" asked the correspond
| ent.
| Never you mind; you wait awhile, my
son, and then you go up and interview Hayes.
| You ask If he don't think his Southern pol
| icy is about played out and if he don't think
| hanging rebels is better than giving them
| offices. Remember. now" continued Mr..
| Chandler. ''you're not TO print anything
about what say; but | want to you keep
| posted and before many days you'll hear
| something drop. Hayes Is a square man."
''When did you find that out?" asked the
| correspondent. 81 found it out to-day.
| heard that Hayes was sick of his sentiment
| aliSm, and came down here TO give him a
| tonic. | didn't come for nothing, and now,
my son. you mark these words: Before Hayes
| gets through with the Presidency he will be
a blacker Republican than am
Sure enough two days after that CONVEX
| SatiOn there appeared an interview with
| President Hayes, in which he announced
what was practically change OF policy to-
ward the South. This was the work OF Dis
trict Attorney Leonard, of Louisiana, who
was here receiving instructions as to the
White League prosecutions in the State
As suggested, |, the correspondent, went to
| see the President, and he expressed very
decided determination to prosecute the per
petrators of the outrage in the South, and
indicated very different line of policy
toward that section than he had followed in
the past This was the beginning of thu
restoration of harmony between the Presi
dent and his party.