Hayes, Rutherford (Administration)

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES (1822–93), a Harvard Law School graduate, talented courtroom lawyer, and wounded Civil War general, began his Republican administration in March 1877 under the cloud of the divisive presidential election of 1876, yet he freed his presidency from many partisan considerations by announcing that he would serve only one term. And because of his independence, integrity, and idealism, his popularity steadily rose throughout his four years in the White House. In the wake of the electoral dispute, Reconstruction, and the scandals of his predecessor's administration, Hayes's mission was national unity, which he pursued through his policies, pronouncements, and appointments.

As part of the arrangements ending the turmoil over the election of 1876, Hayes readily agreed to remove the remaining federal troops from the south and thus end Reconstruction. He believed force would never succeed and idealistically felt that social harmony could be restored through the restoration of civil governments and reasoned appeals to southerners. He mistakenly thought that such a policy would attract whites to the Republican Party, and that through mutual respect and cooperation blacks could better and more permanently secure their rights as citizens and participants in the political and economic order.

Yet Hayes was soon disappointed when southern leaders failed to keep promises to guarantee the rights of African Americans. Hayes also sought national unity by appointing a southern Democrat to his cabinet and selecting William Woods of Georgia as associate justice of the Supreme Court, the first justice to be appointed from the south since the Civil War. Hayes also appointed John Marshall Harlan of Kentucky, “the Great Dissenter,” who would condemn racial segregation.

Long before his presidency, Hayes was known as a social reformer. Before the war, he had volunteered his [Page 464]legal services on behalf of fugitive slaves to secure their freedom. As governor of Ohio (1868–72, 1876–77) he championed universal manhood suffrage, equal rights for African Americans, educational and prison reform, improved and new institutions for the insane and orphans, and greater aid and respect for the poor. He also hired state employees based on merit and instituted sound fiscal policies and significant debt reduction. Accordingly, Republican reformers supported Hayes in 1876, and, once in office, he pursued a reform agenda.

Rutherford Hayes focused his efforts on improving the poverty situation among Native Americans in the late 1800s.

As president, Hayes, with the skillful management of his Secretary of the Interior Carl Schurz, inaugurated a radically new policy concerning Native Americans. Hayes emphasized conciliation with natives and the improvement of conditions on reservations through direct government assistance and federally funded education for native children. Instead of relying on the military, carefully selected and trained civilians handled Native American affairs, with strict controls of federal “Indian agents” designed to root out dishonesty and ensure respect and fair dealings. Native American police forces were established to maintain law and order on reservations.

Hayes channeled financial aid to the heads of families rather than to tribal leaders, and adopted policies to encourage private landownership as a means to combat the poverty of the reservations. The president stated that his goals were the achievement of opportunity, equality, and full citizenship for all Native Americans. After leaving office, Hayes would look upon his enlightened policy as one of his greatest achievements. Hayes was also proud of his veto of a bill that would have restricted Chinese immigration as being unfair and unconstitutional.

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