Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/186

 HAYES

IIAYKS

served as chairman of the committee on the li- brary. In this confrress he favored the reconstruc- tion measures of the Repuhlican party; maintained the siicredness of the public debt and opix)sed repudiation in anj- form; commended President Jolinson for refusing presents; opposed the in-

RES. or KUTHEKFORP B.HAYES, FRE/<AONT. OHIO.

crease of pay of representatives; and formed a constitutional amendment fixing representation upon voters rather than on population. He was re-elected to the 40th congress and supported the impeachment of President Johnson. He was elected governor of Ohio in 1867, his opponent in the state canvass being Allen G. Thurman. He was re-elected in 1S69 against George H. Pendle- ton. His policy as governor was in favor of registration before elections, the representation of minorities in the election boards, the payment of the national debt in specie or its equivalent, a civil service reform, as enjoyed by otHcers in the army and navy, the appointment of judges for long terms with adequate salaries and in national affairs the reduction of the national debt rather than the reduction of taxation, the abolition of the franking privilege and the passage of a civil service reform law. He declined in 1873 to oppose John Sherman in a contest for U.S. senator al- though assured of success by the help of promised Democratic votes, and in 1S72 he declined a nom- ination as representative in the 43d congress but was nevertheless nominated. After making a vigorous canviass of the district he was defeated in the election by loOO votes. President Grant named him as U.S. assistant treasurer at Cincin- nati, which office he declined. He removed to Fremont, Ohio, in 1873 and announced his desire to retire from public life. In 1875 the Republican state convention in order to stay the effect of the Greenback success of the last gubernatorial elec- tion called on him as the ablest representative of sound money to take the nomination of the party for governor and much against his inclination he made the canvass with Gov, Wiilium Allen, the

incumbent, as his opponent. Tiie canva.sg involved national questions and was made of national im- portance, each side being supported b\- the ablest speakers from other states. In addition to the greenback question, the division of the school fund between Roman Catholic and Protestant schools was made an issue ami Ex Governor Hayes advocated secular etlucation. He carried the state by .j.IOu majority, and as an advocate of sound currency and opposed to an unlimited issue of paper money by the governuient lie became a conspicuous figure in national politics. The Re- publican state convention of Ohio named him as tiie candidate of its choice for President before the Republican national convention and in- structed its delegates to support him. When the Republican national convention met at Cincin- nati, June 14, 1S76, his name was presented as were the names of James G. Blaine, Oliver P. Morton, Benjamin H. Bristow, Roscoe Conkling, and John H. Hartranft. On the 1st ballot he had Gl votes and on the 7th ballot the opjwsition to Mr. Blaine gave him the nomination which by motion of William P. Frye of Maine was made unanimous. The Democratic party united upon Samuel J. Tilden of New York as its candidate and his reputation acquired by his reform meas- ures while governor of the state and by his abil- ity as a lawyer and statesman gave him the support of many dissatisfied Republicans. The result of the election of November, 1876. was a question of long and bitter contest. The electoral votes of Louisiana, South Carolina and Florida were in dispute and fraud was charged on both sides. The canvassing boards of the states in dis- pute were visited by statesmen from Washington representing botii parties and all blinded in a measure by political prejudice. A doiible set of certificates of election were sent to Washington, one by the governors of the states, who were Re- publicans, and the other by the Democratic gov- ernors vvho claimed to have been elected, but kept out of office by the Federal government under the reconstruction act, and the presence of Federal soldiers. The two sets of certificates certified to two different sets of electors. To avoid a deadlock, should the election be referred to congress, five senators, five representatives and five judges of the U.S. supreme court, were pro- vided by a special act of congress advocated by both parties, the decision of this commission to be final if not set aside by a concurrent vote of both hou.ses of congress. The commission refused to go behind the certificates of the governors and decided in each contested case, by a vote of eight Republicans to seven Democrats in favor of the Republican electors. The returns showed the popular vote to have been 4,284,885 for the elec- tors for Samuel Jones Tilden and 4,033,950 for the