The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-06-24

reformation. of criminals, in order that
they may be returned to society better
men and women, and go and sin no
more;" that the mfsfortunes Of acciden:
or hasty impulse may be overcome, and
the. premeditations of willful criminals
changed into the post cancellations of re-
pentance and amendment of life: homes
once destroyed, re-established; hearts
once broken. bound up and healed; that
the body polite itself. wounded and
bruised by the machinery which it has
put in motion to correct it's own menu
bers. may yet become sound and we'll in
all it's parts. To this work Rutherford
Birchard Hayes, as an active member
OF the National Conference of Charities
and Corrections and as president of the
National Prison Reform association,
gave of his time. his talents and his
means. His name will stand on the
pages of this branch of history as one
who nobly labored to ameliorate the sad
condition of the criminal classes. and he
is entitled to and should now, as he will
hereafter. receive the lasting veneraton
and love of humanity.
President Hayes was not only SOL
der, a statesman, a philanthropist; he
was a Christian.
He never failed to be in his place in
the church CT Sunday morning if it was
possible for him to be there, and who
ever might be visiting him he brought to
church with him He entirely Disregard
ed conventionalities when they conflictei
with what he considered his duty. re-
member when his niece, Mrs. Hunting-
ton. lay dead in his home. he came out
to the morning service as usual, and was
accompanied by two lady friends, VIII,
had come to Speigel Grove to the
funeral.
He records his belief in God in his pr-
vate diary very fully and freely. l was
! permitted to read his thoughts thus re-
corded, and found them full of religious
faith. Commenting on a recent sermon
he had heard from the text. "Neverth..
less not my will, but thine be DONE" he
says "A warm, moving sermon. The
efficiency of prayer is this: 1t does not
always procure the things prayed for,
but it does better-t brings what is best
for YOU"
The last entry in this diary is signifi-
cant l hope l will be pardoned for Civ
ing it all just as he wrote it:
! January S.-Heard a sermon by p
E. Barnes I am Christian, according
! to my conscience and belief-not. Of
course, in character and conduct: but l
am content and have feeling of trust
and safety p. MI drove over VITA
! Rutherford around the grave of Lucy, in
a sleigh. My feeling was ~one of long
! ing to be quietly resting in grave by
her side Mr.. and Mrs. Albritton and
their boys dined with us. Good people. )"
/ l received many letters after General
Hayes death. asking if he was a men,
Der of the church. He was not. / think
he made mistake here, but l also fully
believe that General Hayes was man
of God. In some respects there have
been men who have excelled him.
Lincoln, as a statesman during the
perilous times of the rebellion, was
greater than Hayes. Lincoln will al
ways be enshrned in the affections of
] the American people.
Grant was a greater soldier than
Hayes. He will never be forgotten as
the man who put down the greatest re-
bellon the world ever saw. Mount Nc
Gregor will always be a sacred spot.
Garfield was greater orator than
Hayes. We will not forget the long
! suffering martyred president.
But Rutherford Brchard Hayes was
!
in many more. Secretary John Sher-
man, in his late book. says:
There was striking contrast be-
! tween the personal qualities of Garfield
and Hayes. Hayes was a modest man,
! but a very able one. He had none of the
brilliant qualities of his successor, but
! his Judgment was always sound, and his
opinion, once formed, was stable ana
/
yon college. and the law school of Cam
bridge. He served with high credit in
/ the Union army and attained the rank
of major general by conspicuous hero
ism in battle. He had been twice elected
! to congress from Cincinnati three times
/ governor of Ohio, and one term president
/ of the United States. Among the multi
tude of public men I have met I have
known no one who held higher sense
of his duty to his country. and more
faithfully discharged that duty, than
President Hayes. He came into his
great office with the prejudice of pow
erful party against him, caused by a
close and disputed election.
This was unjust to him, for the de-
cision was made by tribunal created
mainly by Its representatives He went
out of his Office at the close Of his term
with the hearty respect of the American
people, and his administration may be
! placed as among the most beneficial and
satisfactory in the history of the re-
public Hayes was man of
marked ability, untarnished honor. un-
blemished character and faithful in the
discharge of all his duties in every rela-
| tion of life. against whom no word of re-
proach can be truthfully spoken.
He was always modest, always cour-
teous, kind to every one who approached
him, and generous to friend and foe. He
had no sympathy with hatred or malice
He gave every man his due, according
to his Judgment of his merits"
Noble and fitting words of a great
man regarding another who was great
General Hayes was. in every sense OF