The sun., 1893-01-21
The True Historical View OF Mr.. Hayes.
Prom III, t1irn Oi.e,r,r.

The True Historical View OF Mr.. Hayes.
From II, rtica ob.owr
Rutherford B. Hayes had an opportunity
never presented TO any other man. He might
hnvo excmplinod the famous declaration OF
Henry Clay. II would rather be right than
President" Haves had to choose between
right and the Presidency. and he put right
inside. He erasped the Presidency. to which
he was not elected. and while he might have
stood Us the greatest OF Americans. like
modern and n greater Caesar. refusing for
principle tho highest ONCE in the world. he
will be rememb bered In tho history OF the coun-
try rs Tho Fraudulent President" No vlr-
tues OF other kinds can obliterate this record
that stands against the name OF rutherford
Birchard Hayes. Ho left the Preside ential chair
In 1881. unhonored even by his own party.
which he accented office to serve. and bearing
no portion OF esteom from tho people OF the
United States He retired to private lie.
emerging into public view only on rare occa-
sions. and then he passed. almost unnotced
among his fellow citizens. Such has been the
unenviabio career OF Rutherford Il Hayes
siuce 1876
In the Republican Convention OF 1876 ho
received the nomination for the Presidency.
He was selected simply because ho was the
most available man that the enemies OF Bluino
could select TO defeat the Maine statesman.
The leading candidate for the nomination was
Blaine Others were Roscoe Conkling Oliver
p. Morton. BENJAMIN H. Bristow. John +.
Hnrtranft. and Gov Hayes. 1t is said that
Dlaines nomination could have been forced in
that Convention had not the lights been sud-
denly turned of. preventing n night session.
and permitting the opposition to organize for
his defeat. The Democratic candidate in 1876
was Samuel J. Tilden. and he was elected. but
deprived OF his seat by the action OF the Re-
turning Board. which gave the electoral votes
OF Florida and Louisiana to Hayes.
Hayes tried hard to give tho country sue
cessful Administration. and he called to his
Cabinet and to the important Offices OF tho
country some OF the ablest men in his party.
He never overcame tho odium attaching to
him because OF his fraudulent title to tho
Presidency. and tho distrust Of his party was
shown toward him in tho Convention OF 1880.
when he received but four votes for renomina-
tion.
Jiom ne rLiild,phu Tia..
The errors OF Mr.. Hayes's Administration as
President present little to censure In the i'm
portant page OF history his public acts must
MI: but the consuming wrong OF climbing into
the Presidency in defiance OF the large popular
and electoral majority against him ever comes
up. like the poisoned waters of the long ago. to
efface tho merit Of every patriotic act offered
in atonement for the stolen crown OF the re-.
public.
Had Mr.. Hayes promptly halted the political
desperadoes who plotted to give him stolen
honors by the public declaration that Mr.. TIL
den was elected President and must be in
augurated as such he would have died sim
cerely lamented by good citizens OF every
faith. 1t is more than probable that such a
heroic record OF public honesty would have
made the nation call him to the Presidency in
1880 by an overwhelming vote: but whether
he had ever reached the highest honors Of tho
nation or remained in retirement to illustrate
the noblest citizenship. his name would have
been crystalized high on the scroll OF fame as
one Of the few who had lived to be unforCottcn
while free government had worshippers.
From he Phii1dephia Reoo.L
He did not lack physical courage. but he did
not have the moral courage to do right in tho
very crisis OF his career. His party had no
further use for him and the country no conf
dence in him after his acceptance OF an office
to which he had not been elected. That was a
mistake which put an end to his political
career.
From n, hadiauapo'i, Ser,ins.
Mr. Hayes had such an opportunity a. does
not como TO one man in n century to immor-
talize himself and write his name high on the
scroll o: fame II ho had had even tho ele-
ments OF greatness in him-if he had been
q man OF strong conviction and lofty moral
sense-he would have Indignantly rejected the
fraud beGotten prize which was rendered him
by Zach Chandler and his miserable hrelings.
and would have invoked justice upon tho heads
OF the wretched crew. II Mr.. Hayes had had
the moral courage to have done this thing. not
even Washington would have been so bonored
and revercd by the world. and no bower on
earth could have prevented his succession to
the Presidency in 1880 But the poor man
was not born for great things. He accepted
the Presidency from the hands Of tho thieves
who had stolen it from the people: he reward
cd them for their crime with the patronage Of