美国总统19 拉瑟福德·伯查德·海斯.docx

美国总统18拉瑟福德伯查德海斯RutherfordB.Hayes:Middle-Of-the-RoadVOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutRutherfordB.Hayes.Hetookofficein1877andwaspresidentduringtheendofwhatAmericanscallReconstruction-theperiodfollowingtheCivilWar.Hayeshadapublicimageasanhonest,dignifiedman.Andeventhoughhehadideasthatwereradicalatthetime,hesupportedmoderatepoliciesandmeasuredchange.Oneexceptionwasalcoholicdrinks.HayesbannedwineandliquorfromtheWhiteHouse.EarlyLifeBeforeRutherfordHayeswasborn,hisfatherdied.Nottoolongafterthat,hisolderbrotherdied,too.Asaresult,Hayesgrewupmostlywithjusthismotherandhisoldersister.Laterzanunclehelpedraisehim,aswell.Asaboy,RutherfordHayeswascalled"Rud."HegrewuponafarminOhioandspenthisearlyyearsplayingwithhissister,whotaughthimtolovebooks.Hayeswasanexcellentstudent,andintimeheattendedKenyonCollegeandHarvardLawSchool.HayesstartedhiscareerasalawyerinthecityofCincinnati,Ohio.Hedidnotgointoafieldthatmademuchmoney.Instead,hedefendedpeoplewhowerepoororindifficultsituations.Healsocourtedthewomanhewouldmarry.LucyWebb-likeHayes'motherandsister-stronglyinfluencedthewayHayesthought.RutherfordB.Hayesandhiswife,LucyWebbrontheirweddingday,Dec.30z1852.(LibraryofCongress)Hayes'ownviewsatthetimeweremoderate.Hedrankalcohol,butnotmuch.Heopposedslavery,buthewasnotananti-slaveryactivist.Hisnewwife,however,wasstronglyagainstalcoholandslavery.ShewaspartofsocialmovementsatthetimetobanalcoholicdrinksentirelyintheUnitedStates.AndsheencouragedHayestodefendnotonlythepoorinhislawbusiness,butalsorunawayslaves.Together,RutherfordandLucyHayesformedanequalmarriagecommittedtohelpingothers.Theywereknownforbeingfriendly,informalandwelcoming.Theyalsowentontohaveeightchildren,fiveofwhomsurvivedtoadulthood.LucyWebbHayessaidherhusbandwas"alwayscalm"asafather,andtooktimeevenwhenhewaspresidenttocareforhischildren.Electionof1876BecauseHayeshadsuchapositivepublicimage,itisironicthatthecontestthatelectedhimpresidentwasoneofthemosthostileinU.S.history.Thefullstoryiscomplex.ButthegeneralstoryisthatHayeswastheRepublicancandidate,andSamuelTildenwastheDemocraticcandidate.Tildenwonmorepopularvotesacrossthecountry.ButintheU.S.system,themajorityofvotersdonotchoosethepresident.Instead,afewelectorsineachstatecastvotes.Inaway,then,thestateschoosethepresident.Andintheelectionof1876zthreeSouthernstatesgaveconflictingreports.ItwasnotclearwhetherTildenorHayeshadwonSouthCarolina,FloridaandLouisiana.EventhoughtheelectionwasheldinNovember,thedebateoverthewinnerlasteduntilthefollowingMarch-daysbeforethenewpresidentwastobeswornin.OneofthemostseriousaccusationswasthatDemocratsintheSouthhadpreventedmanyblackmenfromvoting.Ifthosemenhadbeenabletovote,theyalmostcertainlywouldhavevotedforHayes.Intheend,aspecialcommissioninCongressgavethevotesinallthreedisputedstatestoRutherfordHayes.HisopponentspointedoutthatthemajorityofpeopleonthecommissionwereRepublicans.Asaresult,theysaidzthenewpresidenthadearnedhispositiononlybecauseofpartypolitics.Theycalledhim"Rutherfraud"and"HisFraudulancy."But,intheend,Hayeswaswidelyconsideredanindependentpresidentwhooperatedoutsideofpartyloyalties.PresidencyOneofHayes'firstactsaspresidentwasprobablyhismostimportant:HewithdrewfederaltroopsfromSouthernstates.ThetroopshadbeentryingtoprotectthecivilandpoliticalrightsofAfrican-Americans.ButwhiteDemocratsdislikedthefederalgovernment'sinvolvementintheiraffairs.Also,thetroopswerenotveryeffective.SoHayessaidthatifSouthernofficialspromisedtoobeythecountry'slawsprotectingallpeopleequally,hewouldendthefederalgovernment'soccupationoftheirstates.Theofficialsagreed,andtheperiodknownasReconstructionofficiallyended.But,astheyearswenton,therightsofblackAmericanswereincreasinglyviolated.Asaresult,partofHayes'legacyisoneofbetrayal.Hispolicypermittedsystemicviolenceandracismtocontinuefordecades.RutherfordB.Hayes,PresidentAnotherofHayes'importantactswastoreformthecountry'scivilservice.Forthemostpart,membersofCongressofferedtheirpoliticalalliesgovernmentjobswithgoodpay.ButHayessoughttochangetherules.Hewantedtogivegovernmentjobstothemostableworkers.Whilehisgoalwasagoodone,hisactionshockedandangeredmanymembersofCongress.TheDemocratsespeciallysoughttoweakenHayes'positionbyremovingthepresident'sabilitytovetotheirbills.Hayesfoughtback-andwon.Bythesecondhalfofhisterm,HayeshadrestoredsomeofAmericans'trustingovernmentthathadbeenlostunderthetwopresidentsbeforehim,AndrewJohnsonandUlyssesS.Grant.HehadhelpedeasethetensionsbetweentheNorthandSouth.Hehadstabilizedtheeconomy.Hehadincreasedthepowerofthepresidencyinamostlypositiveway.Andhehadpreparedthewayformajorcivilservicereform.ButHayesisnotrememberedasanespeciallygreatpresident.Heisoftenplacedtowardthemiddle-notoneofthebest,andnotoneoftheworst.SomehistorianssuggestthatHayeswouldbebetterrememberedifhehadstayedasecondtermandsupervisedsomeofthegainsbeguninhisfirstyears.But,Hayeshadpromisedthathewouldserveonlyonetermaspresident.Soztruetohisword,Hayesdidnotseek