Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1885-09-13
A LOST OPPORTUNITY.


opinion of the Presidential election
which resulted in the seating Of
Hayes has been revived. He stated
to numerous parties that he be-
lieved that Tilden was elected, and
that the Electoral Commission
was in error when it gave the GER
tiicate of election to Hayes. He
spoke of South Carolina and Ore
gon IS justly belonging to Hayes,
Of Florida as reasonably doubtful,
and Of Louisiana as for Tilden.
There was time when partisan
feeling ran 50 high that facts were
forgotten, and it was almost con-
sidered party treason for a Repub-
lican newspaper to admit its belief
in Tilden's election. The APPEAL
at that time, journal whose Re
publicanism has never been ques-
tioncd, pronounced squarely in favor
of the view that Louisiana had been
carried for Tilden,
When so eminent a Republican
authority as U. S. Grant considered
Tilden elected, it is useless any
longer for any one to have his eyes
blinded by partisanship.
Tilden was honestly elected, and
Hayes was not. This fact must
have been known to Hayes as well
as the conspirators who bequeathed
to the Republican party the bur-
densome legacy of shame, which
the work of that Commission
brought them. The ghost of these
false findings has risen again and
again at the party feasts, and
win not down. The verdict
of the Commissioners vio-
lated the greatest principle of the
Constitution, upon which the per
manency of the Republic is found
ed.
Most of all is it to be regretted
that the man who received this
lease of power was not great enough
to rise above the greed of Office,
and remember that true American
citizen was immeasurably greater
than a bogus claimant for the Pres
idency.
Here was an opportunity pre-
sented, which the centuries only
occasionally bequeath to mortals.
He might have sat down and pen
ned a reply something like this:
To the members of the Electoral
Commission-GENTLEMEN I am
in receipt of your findings in the
issues between Samuel j. Tilden
and myself. While not question
ing the honesty Of your motives, l
am compelled to disagree with your
conclusions. Ihave carefully exam
ined the evidence which came be-
fore you, and am forced to recog-
nize the fact that Samuel J. Tilden
and not myself has been elected
President Of the United States by
q vote of the people. While the
result brushes the greatest ambition
Of my life, I realize that it is final
and that to accept the Presidency
of the United States under these
circumstances would be profna-
ton Of justice. To maintain the
respect of myself, my family and
of my countrymen is more an OBJ
ject to me than the highest Office
within the gift of the American
people, and to accept what my con-
science tells me belongs to another,
would Danish me forever from the
respect of all. I am very truly
yours, RUTHERFORD B. HAYES.
A letter of similar import to the
above, from Hayes, at that time
would have placed him in niche
Of fame, from which all time would
never have displaced him. He
would have passed down in history
as one of its most noted characters,
whereas now, he is only conspicu-
GUS as one of the most insignificant
of all the Presidents, and his MEM
ory Is daily fading from the minds
of men. Such an action would
have also been bright star in the
history of the Republican party
and placed it in a better light be-
fore the country. As the matter
now stands no honest Republican
endorses the Commission and we
are of the opinion that the rank
and file Of the party should no
longer be held responsible for the
action of a few of its trusted men,
a