How Well Do You Know Rutherford B. Hayes?

Photo by Matthew Brady

I once memorized the names of all the U.S. presidents, in order, by using a mnemonic device. It seems like at a relatively early age I knew the first seven presidents, but after seven it wasn't until Lincoln through Grant that I had certainty again. From Garfield to Teddy Roosevelt I was in a dead zone, where names floated without roots. I knew that there was a space between Grover Cleveland's two terms, but whom it was eluded me. The twentieth century flowed more easily, the war president Wilson and FDR more anchored in their respective historical events. But the grey zones required more assistance.

Mnemonic devices are memory aids, like a catchy phrase, acronym, rhyme, or image, that helps you remember complex or large amounts of information by creating simple, memorable associations for easier recall. An example might be the phrase "Every Good Boy Deserves Favor" as a means of memorizing the musical notes on the treble clef in written music. (EGBDF)

Another kind of memory device, which I use frequently, is to imagine silly pictures. For example, beginning with Jackson you visualize a man with 7 jacks in his hand (assuming you know what jacks are). The man has medium length hair which suddenly sprouts and grows very long very quickly. This is William Henry Harrison. The man tosses the jacks aside so he can put on his tie. This is John Tyler. Once his tie is tied, he picks up a cane and starts poking a tailor who's sewing a patch on a hole in the knee of his  pants. This is James Polk and Zachary Taylor. Through a window in the background we see a dentist working on someone's teeth. The man in the chair has lots of cavities, so he says, "Fill more!" Which is, of course, Millard Fillmore, our 13th president.

I assume you get the picture.

Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States, served from 1877 to 1881. I became acquainted with him while doing research with a friend for a Wild West novel that takes place during that time period. The Hayes presidency was marked by significant challenges, including the aftermath of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and economic turmoil. Despite facing a contentious election and entering office under disputed circumstances, Hayes pursued policies aimed at healing the nation and promoting reform.

One of the most notable aspects of Hayes's presidency was his commitment to civil service reform. He advocated for merit-based appointments and sought to end the patronage system (a.k.a. spoils system), which had long been a source of corruption in government. The work he did was later signed into law by Chester Arthur as the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883, laying the groundwork for a professionalized and impartial civil service system.

 

Hayes also made efforts to address the lingering divisions between North and South in the aftermath of the Civil War. He withdrew federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction and allowing Southern states to regain control over their governments. While this decision was controversial and drew criticism from civil rights advocates, it was seen as a step towards reconciliation and the restoration of self-governance.

 

Economically, Hayes faced challenges stemming from the Panic of 1873, a severe economic depression that gripped the nation. He advocated for fiscal responsibility and sought to restore confidence in the economy through measures such as the resumption of specie payments, as opposed to fiat money, which aimed to return the country to the gold standard. Despite facing resistance from some quarters, Hayes's economic policies helped stabilize the nation's finances and lay the groundwork for future economic growth.

 

Hayes's presidency was also notable for its foreign policy achievements. He also pursued a policy of diplomatic engagement and sought to expand American influence abroad. Hayes successfully negotiated the end of the Virginius Affair, a diplomatic crisis with Spain, and secured concessions from China through the Burlingame Treaty.

 

In summary, Rutherford B. Hayes's presidency was characterized by efforts to promote reform, reconciliation, and economic stability. While facing numerous challenges, Hayes pursued policies aimed at uniting the nation and advancing its interests both at home and abroad. Despite his unusual first name (How many Rutherford's do you know?), his legacy as a principled leader and reformer endures in American history.

Why the Court Is Independent of the Executive Branch

There are reasons the Founding Fathers of our fledgling Republic distributed power amongst three branches of government. They were well aware of the consequences of having power solidified in a single entity, the monarch. Hence, they created a checks-and-balances system of government to prevent the consolidation of power.

Currently there is an attempt to restrain the judicial branch of government in the United States. This is not an isolated incident. A brief review of history reveals numerous examples of how totalitarian leaders took measures against judges or judicial bodies for verdicts or decisions that went against their interest. Here are a number of notable examples:

1. Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union): During Stalin's Great Purge (1936-1938), many judges, prosecutors, and legal officials were executed or sent to labor camps. While these purges were often justified under accusations of anti-Soviet activities or conspiracy, many were targeted simply because they were perceived as threats or had issued decisions that were not in line with Stalin's desires.

2. Adolf Hitler (Nazi Germany): In 1934, during the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler's regime executed many political adversaries, including members of the judicial system who were perceived as threats or who had opposed the Nazi party. While not directly a purge of judges for specific verdicts, it was a clear message to the judiciary to align with Nazi policies.  

3. Mao Zedong (People's Republic of China): During Mao's Cultural Revolution, the Red Guards targeted many legal officials, including judges, for being part of the "old society" or for issuing verdicts that did not align with the revolutionary ideology. Many were publicly humiliated, imprisoned, or executed.

4. Nicolae Ceaușescu (Romania): Ceaușescu's regime was known for its brutal repression of dissent. Judges and legal officials who issued decisions contrary to the wishes of the Communist Party were often removed from their positions, imprisoned, or executed under trumped-up charges of corruption or anti-state activities.

5. Pol Pot (Cambodia): The Khmer Rouge, under Pol Pot, dismantled the existing judicial system entirely. Judges, lawyers, and legal officials were seen as enemies of the revolution and were often executed or sent to brutal labor camps.

6. Saddam Hussein (Iraq): Under Saddam Hussein's rule, judges who opposed or issued unfavorable verdicts against the regime were often executed or disappeared. The judicial system was heavily manipulated to serve the interests of Hussein and the Ba'ath Party.

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In recent years I've been concerned about the manner in which our U.S. presidents create laws via Executive Order. It's true that presidential powers have been used from the. beginning. George Washington used an executive order to keep our country from getting tangled in a war between Britain and France. Thomas Jefferson also issued an executive order. Abraham Lincoln used his executive authority when he issued his Emancipation Proclamation.

The 20th century dawned with Teddy Roosevelt flexing his executive muscle, initiative 1000 executive orders during his presidency. FDR issued over 3700 executive orders to address the Great Depression and World War II. His attempt to stack the Supreme Court was especially noteworthy. Several of FDR's initiatives were determined to be unconstitutional and were struck down by the Court. In response he attempted to stack the court in his favor by adding six new Justices to the court for a total of 15. Critics saw it as an attempt to undermine the judiciary's independence and to consolidate executive power, which is exactly what it was. Ultimately, the Senate had its say, defeating the bill by a vote of 70 to 20.

Today President Biden is attempting to bring the Supreme Court under the wing of the Executive branch by doing away with lifetime appointments. He is currently pressing Congress to pass legislation that would establish term limits and a system enabling a sitting president to appoint justices every two years. This would give  the executive branch control of the jdcial branch of government, thereby weakening the original checks and balances system, changing our Constitution and threatening democracy. 

The unchecked consolidation of power is not in the best interest of the people or our future. When presidents can bypass Congress with Executive Orders and the Court becomes a branch of the Executive, we're getting closer to the political system our Founders railed against. 

President Pachyderm and His Pink Electric Elephants

Once upon a time in America, there was a president named President Pachyderm. President Pachyderm became famous for his outlandish ideas and love for all things pink and elephant-related. In addition, he recognized the shackles an uncooperative Congress can put in the way of a president, so he decided to run his nation by means of executive orders, a growing trend in White House governance.

Early in his second term, the President signed into law Executive Order #24315 thereby requiring every citizen to own a pink electric elephant. This decree sent shockwaves through the nation, since nearly all pink electric elephants were now being manufactured in China as a result of Executive Order 23101 which he had signed the previous year in order to balance the budget. (Up till that moment the entire pink electric elephant industry had been subsidized by taxpayer dollars.)

Political pundits and mainstream media were immediately on board with the new EO, declaring it a brilliant idea. Late night comics liked the new EO because it gave them a steady supply of new material to prop up sagging ratings. Bitter disputes broke out on the leading social media platforms as those who supported the president strove to cancel those who criticized it, and vice versa, which generated more buzz than even the ongoing war in Uzbekistan (now in its 8th year). 

Initially people were scrambling to get their hands on pink electric elephants, stores overrun with frantic customers demanding the rare and elusive creatures. Streets were filled with people parading their new companions, each one more absurdly pink and electric than the last. Many of those unable to acquire affordable pink electric elephants joined protesters blocking bridges and highways. 

As demand for pink electric elephants skyrocketed, chaos ensued. Research papers began appearing in scientific journals warning of the stress all these electric elephants were putting on the energy grid. Opponents of these ideas pressured journals to retract these papers and replace them with research extolling the virtue of pink electric elephants.

Both Democrats and Republicans crafted legislation to again fund American pink electric elephant manufacturing plants, laws that failed to pass Congress because 90 percent of this new legislation contained pork favorable to each party's constituencies.  

In the meantime, because of a shortage of resources needed to manufacture them prices soared, and soon only the wealthiest citizens could afford to purchase the coveted symbols of American Greatness. Those unable to comply with the president's decree faced hefty fines and even imprisonment. 

As a result, a countermovement ensued in which Americans began boycotting shopping malls even though they were fully stocked with pink electric elephants.

Much was being written in the media about the delays in getting the elephants from China. There was also speculation that pink electric elephants were being used to spy on Americans. Congressional hearings led to an investigation that rocked the nation. The Chinese, it turns out, were broke but had been forcing the president to pay for their weapons buildout because they had blackmail on him performing raciall yREDACTED th an electric pink elephant with cameras installed in its eyeballs.

Amidst calls for the president's impeachment, the rest of the world looked on in bewilderment. International news outlets dubbed President Pachyderm the "Pink Elephant King" and his followers the "Electric Elephants."

Despite the commotion President Pachyderm remained unfazed, convinced that his pink electric elephants were essential to national prosperity and happiness. He continued to promote his vision with fervor, even going so far as to commission giant pink electric elephant statues to be erected on both ends of the National Mall in front of the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol.

The rest of this story is yet to be written. If we're lucky it will also be soon forgotten.

 

As for President Pachyderm, he remains as colorful and eccentric as ever, blissfully unaware of the chaos he's unleashed upon his nation. 

 

Memory Games: How Well Do You Know Your Presidents? (Part I)

Purple martin. (Public domain)

I have a problem with names. Unfortunately, as I get older it seems to be getting worse. When my mind reaches for a name, it often seems to find a hole there. It's like the brain is a pantry with shelves of products, but when you look for the one you need, it seems to have been moved. At that point, I don't know where to even look.

Anyways, there are techniques one can use to improve your memory. What I plan to share here is an easy way to remember the first 20 U.S. presidents. You should be able to accomplish this in a relatively short time, especially since you probably already know the first few.

One way people remember lists of things is to use mnemonic devices. A mnemonic device is a technique that enables you to more easily retrieve information. One such device is to assign images to correlate to the numbers in a list. Then, as you recall each image you pair it with the thing you want to remember. Here are the first ten images in my mnemonic list: 1 is a gun, 2 is a shoe, 3 is a tree, 4 is a door, 5 is a hive, 6 is for sticks, 7 is heaven, 8 is a gate, 9 is a vine and 10 is a hen. If memorize this, reciting the first ten presidents is a snap. 

1. Picture a gun shooting one dollar bills. George Washington is the president on the one dollar bill, though this is easy because everyone knows he was first anyways. Nevertheless, if you did not know that, the one dollar bill is a clue.

2. Picture a shoe being studied under a microscope by a scientist. The microscope is so powerful it can actually see the atoms in the leather. John Adams is the second president.

3. The tree you picture here is decorated with ornaments which are all in the shape of Monticello. Monticello was Thomas Jefferson's home near Charlottesville, Virginia. If you prefer another image, maybe you can picture a Chef serving a plate with a tree growing on it. Chef-erson.

4. Four is a door, and for this image I have stapled Mad magazines all over the door. James Madison was our fourth prez.

5. For this one, I picture two men in suits rowing a boat with a beehive in the back of the boat. They are trying to get away from it as fast as they can. The one man is shouting, "Row, mon, row!" James Monroe was our fifth president.

6. For this one, I envision a wreath made of sticks floating in the air. There are sticks intersecting the wreath on the lower right, forming the letter Q. The Q reminds me that John Quincy Adams was our. sixth president.

7. Up on a cloud we see the Pearly Gates. (Seven is Heaven.) In front of these there are a couple children playing jacks. Andrew Jackson was our 7th commander-in-chief.

8. Now we come to a gate. Sitting on the gate is a purple bird. The purple bird is a purple martin. Our 8th president is Martin Van Buren. 

9. For this one I picture a hairy vine. You can make it a giant Jack-in-the-beanstalk vine if you want, but it is really hairy, which is the operative clue for William Henry Harrison. If want to picture the vine growing fast, then wilting, it will be a reminder that President Harrison died one month after taking office, the shortest term of any U.S. president.

10. Ten is a hen, a giant hen wearing a tie. I envision a necktie, but you can put a polkadot bowtie on this hen if you wish. The tie stands for John Tyler. 

Now, I'm going to switch to a different kind of mnemonic device, once again using unusual or absurd images but in a different manner. For presidents 11 thru 20 I will picture a humorous sequence of images as if in a movie. The movie begins with Tyler, the giant hen wearing a tie. 

John Tyler

The giant hen (wearing a tie) is poking a tailor with a stick, while the tailor is busy sewing a button onto a dapper pinstripe suit worn by another man. The tailor puts down his needle and thread to take a trowel and begins filling this other man's pockets with dirt while that fellow is shouting "More!"

Suddenly an arrow pierces this man's thigh and we see that it has been fired from a cannon.

This little visual sequence covers the next five presidents: Polk (11), Taylor (12), Fillmore (13), Pierce (14) and Buchanan (15).

Since we all know Lincoln was 16, no need for a tool to remember that, but we will use Lincoln as a starting point for the next set. 

Picture Lincoln sitting by a fire pit cooking Johnson brats over an open fire with his left hand while signing a document  with his right that says Land Grant at the top. There's a smoky haze wafting around Lincoln's face which we think is from the fire pit, but as the camera pans we see it is actually from a giant cigar lying in the field behind him.

That's it. If you visualize this scene you will recognize Lincoln (16), Johnson (17), Grant (18), Hayes (19) and Garfield (20).

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OK. Test yourself. Have you nailed it? Here's the full list if you want to make your own humorous mnemonic images to memorize the rest:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_United_States

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FDR Related Stuff

I read a short biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt last week by Roy Jenkins and Arthur Schlesinger. It is not a book that will appear on my recommended readings because it skimmed too superficially across the surface of his life story. Nevertheless, it was a good setup for reading the much longer, in depth analysis of FDR and the Great Depression years called The Forgotten Man, by Amity Shlaes.

In case you're wondering, FDR's relationship to Uncle Teddy was as a fifth cousin. Eleanor, Teddy's niece, was likewise FDR's fifth cousin. The Roosevelt's were deeply rooted in early America (1600's) and were in that wealthy strata which most people only dream about. FDR's strings to power are many, including being coat tail relations to John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, Millard Filmore (seventh cousin once removed), Rutherford B. Hayes, Grover Cleveland and William Taft. I guess you might say it's "all in the family."

I did learn some other details about FDR of which I was unaware or had forgotten. In particular, I didn't realize that he got polio as a young adult, after a swim. I guess we've grown up in a half-century of polio-free living, so we know little about this terrible disease. I always assumed, and I do not know where I got this notion from, that you caught the disease as an infant or something like that. For FDR there's no doubt it was a setback, but it's a mark of his great ambition and fortitude that he didn't cave in and call it quits at that point, or lower his aims.

It would be easy to imagine him drawing on this experience in later life, especially with unexpected setbacks like the sudden and devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, or the discovery that Hitler was working on The Bomb.

The most interesting aspect of the book was how swiftly it moved along the mile markers of his life. While reading, I thought at first that this rapid summary was all preface to the real in depth story that would follow. But once past an event, the author never looked back. About halfway through I realized that this was the style of the book, and that I was no longer reading the preface. (You know how they sometimes summarize the story as an intro and then rehash it all in greater detail afterwards.)

The book avoided anything that might offend either fan or foe of the four term president. It mentions, for example, his stacking of the Supreme Court as a fact much like the length of his hair or the state he was from.

In one section they mentioned how he placed boards in front of the presidential desk in the Oval Office to hide his leg braces, referencing his efforts to keep up appearances. This brought to mind a 1932 booklet I once read by some Harvard scholar that said that in America you can not hope to be elected unless you said you believed in God and were a Christian. In other words, ambitious politicians whose personal philosophy was Machiavellian would be required to set that on a shelf when wearing their public persona. Eventually, this awareness of the facade by the general public helped foster a general cynicism in the Boomer generation, which is even more deep-seated today.

This past summer, I discovered that as a boy FDR had been here in Superior, Wisconsin. (I live in Duluth, but work in Superior, across the bridge... the bridge to somewhere, as opposed to the sister bridge to nowhere, off to its left.) The story is embossed on a sign erected in front of the S.S. Meteor, last of the great whaleback ships that carried grain and goods to and from the Twin Ports. There were 43 of these whalebacks launched between 1888 and 1898, and young FDR came to Superior to watch one of them launched. According to the sign, "In his enthusiasm to get a good view, he was swept into the slip by waves. A member of the Superior Fire Department rescued him before he reached deep water." The six year old boy who later made history could have been history.

On my wall here is a little saying by Bruce Barton which I have quoted before, but it's appropriate enough to repeat: "Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things... I am tempted to think there are no little things."

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

Barack Obama Accepts

While normally not a television watcher, I did have the tube on for a good portion of the evening last night, tuned in to the events in Denver where the Democratic faithful have gathered all week. When possible, developing direct impressions drawn from observation will generally be more useful than weeding through other peoples’ interpretations filtered through their own biases. To the best of my ability, I make an effort here to present an unbiased account what I saw and heard last night.

The evening unfolded with many important speakers lauding the hero of the campaign, culminating in the acceptance speech of our first black presidential candidate nominated by a major party. What follows are a few of the notes I took while listening to and watching the final portion of this made for television spectacle. At the end, infinite confetti and fireworks, and a handful of talking heads expressing how they saw it.

Once you cut through those over-the-top light shows and larger-than-life projection screens, you could see that the evening was well orchestrated. By the time Obama took the platform, they had hit all the right notes. And then, for forty-three minutes he shared his vision for the future of these United States.

“It is a promise we make to our children that each of us can make what we want of our lives…” This was the opening line of the video introducing Barack Obama.

The narrator continued. “His childhood was like any other, but it was his search for self that defined him.”

“What he learned is that by discovering his own story he would learn what was remarkable about his country.”

“His grandfather fought in Patton’s army, his grandmother worked on an assembly line…”

From here, we learned about the values his mother taught him, how his relationship with his wife Michelle developed, about his schooling, and how after graduation he came to develop his passion for the downtrodden, needy and forgotten who have taken a hit due to insensitive political and business decisions. “That’s not right, someone ought to work to fix it.”

Other callouts from the intro video:

“In Washington, he would remember who he was fighting for…”

“It is a promise we make to our children that each of us can make what we want of our lives. It is a promise that his mother made to him, and that he would intend to keep.”

“Imagine what it would be like to be in someone else’s shoes. One person’s struggle is everyone’s struggle…. That’s the country I believe in. That’s what’s worth fighting for.”

In an event that is bigger than life, Obama begins the last leg of his journey to the White House, “Change” as his theme.

Barack Obama’s opening sentence to the nation, after much fanfare from the faithful who had gathered for this historic moment: “With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for presidency of the United States.”

Followed by a tip of the hat to Hillary, to former President Clinton, to Ted Kennedy “and to the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden,” and to the lovely love of his life, wife Michelle, he declared, “This moment, this election, is our chance to keep the American Promise alive.”

The position Obama seeks to establish is that John McCain is a Republican no different from Bush, and that change is a must, therefore Obama is the only real choice in November. According to Obama, McCain at the Republic Convention in September will strive to give the impression that he is not like George Bush.

Obama’s appeal is to those who are needy, and those who have been hurt by the policies of Big Money and special interests.

Reiterating another message from the intro video, Obama underscored the Promise. “I am my brother’s keeper.”

His goals were specific. “I will cut taxes for 95% of all working families.”

“And within ten years we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East,” he said. “Now is the time to end our oil addiction.” With this, and many other platform initiatives, Obama repeated his edict, “Now is the time…”

Citing Kennedy, he likewise appealed to our personal responsibility if we are to see change. Government can’t do it all. Parents must turn off the television and help their children with their homework. Fathers must help in the home. Mutual responsibility is his appeal.

“This election has never been about me,” Obama said. “It’s about you.”

“The change doesn’t come from Washington. Change comes to Washington.”

“America, we cannot turn back…. And in the words of Scripture, let us hold firmly to the hope that we profess.”

His specific promises are many, and presented clearly. Can he accomplish all this? It will be interesting to see how the Republicans position their man.