San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-01-19
Ex-PREsIpENr HAYES.

The death of Elk President Hayes
offers fitting occasion for q tribute
to his abilities and character that has
been too generally denied him. There
is no man who has taken so impor-
tant a part in the government of this
country who has been so persistent-
ly moderated, Notwithstanding that
in every position that he was called
to assume he discharged his duties
with signal ability. There are two
reasons for this false estimate of
man whose history is one unbroken
succession of successes: First, he
came to the presidency under the
cloud of the ELECTORAL Commission. ;"
It is not now necessary to enter into
that vexed question. No other presi-
dent ever received his title deeds to
the presidency in that way and he
was never forgiven for it, albeit he
was in no sense responsible for its
creation or its verdict. Second, h inn
self and wife were strong teetotallers
and carried their principals into
the White house, refusing to how to
the usages of society and place wine
before their guests. These were their
offenses. and SO unduly were they
msgnified that all their sterling
qualities or mind and heart were
overlooked. A id to this the fact
that Mr.. Hayes was not the choice of
his party, save Is compromise, for
the nomination that he secured and
there is sufficient apparent for the
GOODNESS with which he was received
at Washipgto These facts do not
alter the truth that Hayes was solid
man. He was q bright student, as is
evidenced by his leading his class
when he graduated at the age of
twenty. That he was no SLOUGH in
his profession is proved by the posi-
ton that he held as city council of
Cincinnati only q few years after his
admission to the bar. That he was
recognized as leading citizen of that
city is seen in his selection as chair
man Of the committee on resolut tons
chosen in the mass meeting assems
bled on the news reaching the north
that Sumpter had been fred on. His
military services were frequently
commended by so great an author-
ity as Grant, and his promo
ton step by step to the grade of Major
General speaks for Itself. Not only
was he elected,t to congress and reflect
ed, but he was elected governor OF
his state, reelected and declined a
third nomination, but he was later
compelled to take that nomination
after the state had fallen into the
hands of the democrats, as the only
man in Ohio whom the epublicsns
conld elect, and on that nomination
he carried the state by 5000 majority.
Not the choice of his party In 1876,
who were shouting for Blaine but
could not nominate him owing to
C)ukling, he was confronted by the
ablest leader in the dem Dcrattc ranks
and was elected president. His ad-
ministration was able, solid, unsul-
lied by scandal and every way cred
liable to the nation. Since his retire.
msnt to private life he has been the
recipient of the highest honors at
the hands of Yale and Harvard, and
had been prominent in all the hu-
msnitarian work of the last fifteen
years. 1t Is as futile ss 1t is unjust
aud ungenerous to refuse to such q
man the proper recognition of those
qualities by which such successes
were fairly won. The future years
will do Ruther ford B. Hayes that
justice that his own generation has
denied bin, and in its more equitab BILE
judgment he will stand head and
shoulders above many of those who
In the short-sighted verdict of the
present have been counted his SUI
| periors.