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1、美国总统18拉瑟福德伯查德海斯RutherfordB.Hayes:Middle-Of-the-RoadVOALearningEnglishpresentsAmericasPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutRutherfordB.Hayes.Hetookofficein1877andwaspresidentduringtheendofwhatAmericanscallReconstruction-theperiodfollowingtheCivilWar.Hayeshadapublicimageasanhonest,dignifiedman.Andeventhou
2、ghhehadideasthatwereradicalatthetime,hesupportedmoderatepoliciesandmeasuredchange.Oneexceptionwasalcoholicdrinks.HayesbannedwineandliquorfromtheWhiteHouse.EarlyLifeBeforeRutherfordHayeswasborn,hisfatherdied.Nottoolongafterthat,hisolderbrotherdied,too.Asaresult,Hayesgrewupmostlywithjusthismotherandhi
3、soldersister.Laterzanunclehelpedraisehim,aswell.Asaboy,RutherfordHayeswascalledRud.HegrewuponafarminOhioandspenthisearlyyearsplayingwithhissister,whotaughthimtolovebooks.Hayeswasanexcellentstudent,andintimeheattendedKenyonCollegeandHarvardLawSchool.HayesstartedhiscareerasalawyerinthecityofCincinnati
4、,Ohio.Hedidnotgointoafieldthatmademuchmoney.Instead,hedefendedpeoplewhowerepoororindifficultsituations.Healsocourtedthewomanhewouldmarry.LucyWebb-likeHayesmotherandsister-stronglyinfluencedthewayHayesthought.RutherfordB.Hayesandhiswife,LucyWebbrontheirweddingday,Dec.30z1852.(LibraryofCongress)Hayeso
5、wnviewsatthetimeweremoderate.Hedrankalcohol,butnotmuch.Heopposedslavery,buthewasnotananti-slaveryactivist.Hisnewwife,however,wasstronglyagainstalcoholandslavery.ShewaspartofsocialmovementsatthetimetobanalcoholicdrinksentirelyintheUnitedStates.AndsheencouragedHayestodefendnotonlythepoorinhislawbusine
6、ss,butalsorunawayslaves.Together,RutherfordandLucyHayesformedanequalmarriagecommittedtohelpingothers.Theywereknownforbeingfriendly,informalandwelcoming.Theyalsowentontohaveeightchildren,fiveofwhomsurvivedtoadulthood.LucyWebbHayessaidherhusbandwasalwayscalmasafather,andtooktimeevenwhenhewaspresidentt
7、ocareforhischildren.Electionof1876BecauseHayeshadsuchapositivepublicimage,itisironicthatthecontestthatelectedhimpresidentwasoneofthemosthostileinU.S.history.Thefullstoryiscomplex.ButthegeneralstoryisthatHayeswastheRepublicancandidate,andSamuelTildenwastheDemocraticcandidate.Tildenwonmorepopularvotes
8、acrossthecountry.ButintheU.S.system,themajorityofvotersdonotchoosethepresident.Instead,afewelectorsineachstatecastvotes.Inaway,then,thestateschoosethepresident.Andintheelectionof1876zthreeSouthernstatesgaveconflictingreports.ItwasnotclearwhetherTildenorHayeshadwonSouthCarolina,FloridaandLouisiana.Ev
9、enthoughtheelectionwasheldinNovember,thedebateoverthewinnerlasteduntilthefollowingMarch-daysbeforethenewpresidentwastobeswornin.OneofthemostseriousaccusationswasthatDemocratsintheSouthhadpreventedmanyblackmenfromvoting.Ifthosemenhadbeenabletovote,theyalmostcertainlywouldhavevotedforHayes.Intheend,as
10、pecialcommissioninCongressgavethevotesinallthreedisputedstatestoRutherfordHayes.HisopponentspointedoutthatthemajorityofpeopleonthecommissionwereRepublicans.Asaresult,theysaidzthenewpresidenthadearnedhispositiononlybecauseofpartypolitics.TheycalledhimRutherfraudandHisFraudulancy.But,intheend,Hayeswas
11、widelyconsideredanindependentpresidentwhooperatedoutsideofpartyloyalties.PresidencyOneofHayesfirstactsaspresidentwasprobablyhismostimportant:HewithdrewfederaltroopsfromSouthernstates.ThetroopshadbeentryingtoprotectthecivilandpoliticalrightsofAfrican-Americans.ButwhiteDemocratsdislikedthefederalgover
12、nmentsinvolvementintheiraffairs.Also,thetroopswerenotveryeffective.SoHayessaidthatifSouthernofficialspromisedtoobeythecountryslawsprotectingallpeopleequally,hewouldendthefederalgovernmentsoccupationoftheirstates.Theofficialsagreed,andtheperiodknownasReconstructionofficiallyended.But,astheyearswenton
13、,therightsofblackAmericanswereincreasinglyviolated.Asaresult,partofHayeslegacyisoneofbetrayal.Hispolicypermittedsystemicviolenceandracismtocontinuefordecades.RutherfordB.Hayes,PresidentAnotherofHayesimportantactswastoreformthecountryscivilservice.Forthemostpart,membersofCongressofferedtheirpolitical
14、alliesgovernmentjobswithgoodpay.ButHayessoughttochangetherules.Hewantedtogivegovernmentjobstothemostableworkers.Whilehisgoalwasagoodone,hisactionshockedandangeredmanymembersofCongress.TheDemocratsespeciallysoughttoweakenHayespositionbyremovingthepresidentsabilitytovetotheirbills.Hayesfoughtback-andw
15、on.Bythesecondhalfofhisterm,HayeshadrestoredsomeofAmericanstrustingovernmentthathadbeenlostunderthetwopresidentsbeforehim,AndrewJohnsonandUlyssesS.Grant.HehadhelpedeasethetensionsbetweentheNorthandSouth.Hehadstabilizedtheeconomy.Hehadincreasedthepowerofthepresidencyinamostlypositiveway.Andhehadprepa
16、redthewayformajorcivilservicereform.ButHayesisnotrememberedasanespeciallygreatpresident.Heisoftenplacedtowardthemiddle-notoneofthebest,andnotoneoftheworst.SomehistorianssuggestthatHayeswouldbebetterrememberedifhehadstayedasecondtermandsupervisedsomeofthegainsbeguninhisfirstyears.But,Hayeshadpromisedthathewouldserveonlyonetermaspresident.Soztruetohisword,Hayesdidnotseek
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