Evening journal., 1893-01-21
A MATTER OF HISTORY.
The Tilden-Hayes Case Re-
stated Calmly and Consisely.
HAYES REWARDED THE THIEVES.


Within Twenty Months After the Inaug-
uration of SIr. Hayes He Had Nearly
Every Person Concerned in Counting
Him in. with IA Federal Office and a
Salary From the United States Treas
ury.
These are the words of Hon. William
M. Evarts--may his remaining years be
many and happy-in referring yesterday
to the great crime by which Samuel j.
Tilden was kept out Of Office of Presi-
dent of the United States, and by which
the late Rutherford Hayes was seated.
1T is all matter of history" said Mr..
Evarts. "You see. when one party gets
In the other is out. So there must be a
diversity of opinion"
1t is all matter of history Death
wipes out some scores, and softens per-
sonal judgment But if death wiped out
all scores, if the disposition to say only
kind things of the departed were al.
lowed to overcome the truth, history
with its lessons and warnings could not
be written. The accepted record of the
past would be one continuous, amiable
falsehood
lie was blackened forever by the accept
ance of a stolen Office. There are now
advanced two views of the conduct Ct
Mr. Hayes at the critical time which
tested the quality of his soul; and both
are false One is the view in the parti.
sanship which devised the conspiracy to
defeat the will of the people, and profted
along with Mr.. Hayes by the success of
that conspiracy. 1t is tersely expressed
by the leading Republican newspaper
mo other President" says the New
York Tribune, lever had so valid and
incontestable title to the office What
ever may be said of the struggle over
Returning Boards in the three contested
states, it cannot be denied that by the
concurrent action of both houses of Con-
gress and the United States Supreme
Court his title to the Presidency was
passed upon, sanctioned, and guaran-
teed. The supreme legislative council
and the court of last resort united in
certifying to the validity Of this election,
and it was morally impossible for him to
act otherwise than he did in taking his
inauguration oath" Those who hold
this view maintained that Mr.. Hayes was
honestly elected as President that his
title, originally good, was strengthened
and confirmed by the 8 to votes of the
Electoral Commission; and that in tax
ing the Office Mr.. Hayes took only what
was his own.
The other theory regards Mr.. Hayes as
having possessed no better title to the
Presidency than that which he derived
from tribunal of doubtful constitution
ality, but of practical necessity in the
emei gency that arose from the contested
election. Many Republicans and few
Democrats are now saying that although
the frauds in Louisiana and in Florida,
and the partisan decision of the COM
mission, gave to Mr.. Hayes an Office that
rightfully belonged to Mr. Tilden, both
parties had virtually agreed TO abide by
the decision of the improvised court,
and Mr.. Hayes only did his duty in
standing by the verdict They acquit
him of personal blame He was limo
cent, whoever may have been guilty. In
other words, according to this view OF
the events Of 1876 and 1877, Mr.. Hayes
was morally right in taking and occupy
ing an Office that morally belonged tc
Mr.. Tilden, whom the people had chosen.
Merely to state these propositions is to
exhibit their falsity. 1t is not our pur-
pose to thresh old straw anew, but nc
occasion more appropriate than the pres
ent for reminding Mr. Cleveland and
certain other Democrats whose unreason
ing haste to condone Fraud first tri
umphant in American history was re
Gently rebuked in Mr.. Cleveland's pres
ence by Senator Carlisle, that the lat,
Rutherford B Hayes was himself party
to the conspiracy by which he profted
and an active agent in promoting tn,
monumental crime
The proof of this is found in the un
disputed fact that the corrupt agreements
entered into while the success of tn,
conspiracy was still doubtful, were car
ried out to the letter by Mr. Hayes, a
the beneficiary, after he had been fraud
ulently seated in Mr.. Tilden's place
Others had made the bargain; he paid.
To consummate the foul and unpar
donable conspiracy which had its Origin
in the Office of the New York Time
early on the morning of the day afte
Mr. Tilden's election, and which wa
eagerly adopted that same morning b,
two Chambers at the Fifth Avenu
Hotel and which from that time unit
March a, 1877, was prosecuted steadily
unfiinchingly, and remorselessly to tn