The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-18
Short Sketch of His Life.

Hon. Rutherford Burchard Hayes, IL.
d.. nineteenth President Of the United
States, was born at Delaware, o.. Oct. 4.
1S22, and graduated at Kenyon College in
1872. He was admitted TO the bar at MARI
etta. o.. IN 1s45. and entered on the practice
of law first at Fremont, O.. and subse-
Quent.v at Cincinnati. The civil war
having broken out. he was in
June, 1861. made major of regiment
of Ohio volunteers. His regiment was
ordered for service In West Virginia. and
was subsequently joined with the Army of
the Potomac under General Mcclellan,
and took part in the operations pertaining
to the beating back of the confederates
from Maryland in September, 1St2. In No
vember, 1862 he was made colonel OF his
regiment. which was subsequently on duty
In Virginia. West Virginia and elsewhere
For gallant and merltorious services" in
the battles of Winchester. Fishers Hull
and Cedar creek he was promoted to the
rank OF brigadier-general of volunteers
and brevetted major general for gallant
and distinguished service" during the
campaign of 1864. During the course of
his army services he was wounded four
times and had four different horses shot
from under HIM. At the close of the war
in June. 1865. he resigned his commission.
He had previously been elected Repre-
sentative and Congressman from Ohio and
now took his seat in December, 1855. He
was reelected for the following term, but
resigned in 1867. having been elected
Governor of Ohio, to which office he was
reelected in 1869 and again in 1875 His
repeated success in Ohio induced the Re-
publican party to nominate him for Presl-
dent at the Cincinnati convention In 1876
When the election had taken place and il
seemed that out of the S69 electoral votes
1Si would be cast for Samuel j. Tilden. be-
ing one less than q majority. 172 were
equally sure for Mr.. Hayes. But
whose election there were grave questions
in dispute. If only one of these votes
should be counted for Mr.. Tilden he would
have majority. and would consequently
secure the election of Mr.. Hayes all of
these thirteen votes must be counted for
him. The Republicans had q majority in
the United States Senate and the Demo
two branches would not agree in the
counting of the disputed votes.
In this emergency q bill was
passed creating q special electoral
commission, consisting of five Senators:
five Representatives. and five Justices OF
the United States Supreme Court. This
commission, by q majority of one, decided
that all of the thirteen votes should be
counted for Mr. Hayes, giving him q major
ity of one in the Electoral College, and he
was declared duly elected.
MI. Hayes's administration " as conserve
tive One and was noted for it's ex-
ceptlonaI purity. BY the withdrawal of
al national troops from the Southern
the right of local lf-government.
He endeavored to prevent the remonetiza-
tion OF silver at more than It's intrinsic
value. but his veto was overridden by the
constitutional twc-thirds majority in Con-
gress. He firmly maintained against
large majority of both branches In Con-
gress the resumption OF specie payment.
Both the Senate % and the House
oPD0'sd OF the hS civil e0ses sssvas at rsiIIm shse
the bill prohibiting political assessments
on Otficeh0lders was the only law on the
subject of which he secured the passage.
favor of the reform by checking removals
except for cause and by lnstituting in the
Interior Department in Washington and In
the postoffice and custom. house in New
York competitive examinations for ap-
pointments. The House of Representatives,
which was Democratic throughout his
term. attempted to secure his consent to
repeal of certain measures by attaching
them to Appropriation bills. but he was
firm in his refusal to sign them and the
House was obliged to give way, public SEN
timent showing itself largely on the side
of the President. He was succeeded in
Office as President March 4. 1881, by James
A. Garfield.
to his home at Fremont, U. He was the
recipient of various distinctions. The de-
gree of LII. ID. was conferred upon him by
Kenyon College. Harvard University, Yale
College and Johns Hopkins University.
He was made senior vIce-commander of the
Loyal Legion, commander of the Ohio
Commanderv of the same order, the first
president of the Society of the Army of
West Virginia. and president of the Twen-
ty-third Regiment Ohio Volunteers Asso-
citation. Much Of his time In later
years was gwen to benevolent
and useful enterprises. He was president
of the John +. Slater education fund. one
of the trustees of the Peabody education
fund, presidenJ of the National Prison Re.
form Association, an active member of the
Nstional Conference of Corrections and
Charities. q trustee of the Western Reserve
University. at Cleveland. o., of the
Wesleyan University at Delaware. o.. of
Mount Union College at Alliance. o., and
OF eeveral other charitable and educational
institutions. In the past twelve years he
frequently appeared before the public In
behalf of charitable educational and other
enterprises. and retained in a marked de-
gree the esteem and regard of the entire