The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-01-25
Rutherford Burchard Hayes.


RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. ex-president of
the United States. died last week at his
home in Fremont, o., after q brief illness.
The announcement of his death will come
as a great surprise to tho country, as the
first intelligence of his sickness was only
published yesterd sy in the morning
papers.
GES. HAYES, although personally man
of many excellent and amiable qualities,
will occupy an unenviable position in
history because of the peculiar circum-
stances attending his elevation to the pres
idency. He was nominated as a compro-
mise candidate. His position in his party
had not been such as TO entitle him to
serious consideration in connection with
this high Office. He had served in the
union army creditably, but without spe-
cial distinction, having reached no higher
rank than that of a corps commander. He
had been Q member of congress, but had
achieved no great reputation in that
body. He had served two terms as
governor of Ohio and had entered upon
his third. In the campaign of 1875 the
currency being the issue and WILLIAM
ALLEN the opposing candidate he had
rome prominently before the country.
not because of a striking personality,
but as the accidental representative for
the time being of the cause of hard
money" It was the day Of "tavorits
sons" and Ohio presented his name to the
Cincinnati convention of 1876 for the first
place on the ticket without any serious
idea that he would be named.
pliment to Gen. HAYES and because
the Ohio republicans were unable to unite
upon any of the prominent candidates.
The most that Gen. HAYES supporters
hoped 70 obtain for him was the vice
presidential nomination with BLAINE or
CoNKLINe, or a cabinet post in the next
administration. Their opportunity came.
however, after several tests OF strength
between the supporters of BLAINE,
CoSKLING, MORTON and BRIsTow. Each
had q strong and compact following
fractional feeling ran high. The nomina-
tion of either of the leading candidates
meant a disruption of the party. So the
convention turned to the dark horse
from Ohio, and to the great surprise Of
himself and everybody else RUTHERFORD
3. HAYES was named for the presidency.
The campaign which followed was the
most memorable in our history. The
democratic party, under the superb lead.
ership of SAMUEL J. TILDEk and Thomas A.
HENDRICKS, made magnificent fight and
won q decisive victory. But the rspub-
1ican leaders were a lot of political dss-
peradoes, with abundant resources and
no conscientious seruples whatever.
They set about deliberately to re-
verse the popular verdict. and they
succeeded, after a series of crimes
such a. had never before been committed
In free country, in seating the inofensivs
HAYES in the chair which the country had
voted 10 Mr.. TLDKN.
Mr.. HAYES had such an opportunity a.
does not come to one man in . cent
mis- name high on the scroll oil fame. If
he had had even the elements of great
nsss in him-f be had been q maa of
strong conviction and lofty moral sense
he would have Indignantly rejected the
fraud-begostsn prize which was rendered
him by ZACH CHANDLER and his
miserable hirslings, and would have
invoked justice upon the heads Of the
wrstchsd crew. If Mr.. HAYES had had the
moral courage TO have done this thing
not even WASHINGTON would have been 50
bonored and revsrsd by the world,
and no power on earth could have
prevented his succession TO the
presidency in $780, But the poor man
was not born for great things. Hsac-
cepted the presidency from the hands OF
ths thieves who had stolen it from
Abe people; he rewarded them for
their crime with the patronage of
bis Office; and although he as
sumed the air of devoutness. and tried.
In bis poor. feeble way to clothe his adj
ninistration with an air of responsibility
n dragged out . miserable existence