some of the members of Congress had been influenced by gifts of railroad stock to vote for measures in favor of the road. After investigation two members of the House of Representatives were censured.

1873

575. Panic of 1873. The paper currency issued during the war had depreciated in value, and although there had been some increase in its value after the close of the war, yet in 1873 the paper dollar was still not worth as much as a gold dollar. This state of the currency, together with wild railroad speculation, the enormous destruction of wealth by fire, and general conditions following the war, finally ended in 1873 in a widespread financial panic. Many failures in business followed, and its effects were felt throughout the country for several years.

576. Silver Demonetized.

1873

- The silver dollar had not been in general circulation for a number of years, and its value had increased until it was worth more than a gold dollar. Congress decided to discontinue its coinage, and to make it no longer a legal tender—that is, it could not be used for the payment of taxes and revenue duties. This was called "demonetizing" silver.

1876

577. Centennial Exposition. During this administration the hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence was celebrated by a great International Exhibition, or World's Fair, held in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. Large buildings were erected for the use of the exhibitors. The six principal houses covered about sixty acres. Products, manufactures, and works of art were sent from all parts of the world. Nearly ten million visitors attended the exhibition, which was open from May to November.

In the public square, near Independence Hall in Philadelphia, platforms were erected for those who were to take part in the 4th of July ceremonies. Among the guests was Richard Henry Lee, the grandson of the mover of the Declaration of Independence. When he came forward, holding in his hand the original document, yellow with age, he was greeted

with a loud shout from the multitude. His reading of the Declaration was followed by other interesting exercises.

1876

578. The Telephone. One of the most interesting instruments exhibited at the Centennial was the telephone, invented by Alexander Graham Bell, of the Boston University. Since then a network of telephone wires has been strung above every city and town, or carried in underground channels, and it has become so completely a part of every community that any interruption of the telephone would cause serious inconvenience to all kinds of business. Improvements invented by Thomas Edison made it possible to use the telephone at long distances. New York has been placed in communication with Boston, Chicago, and other cities. In January, 1897, there were 805,711 miles of telephone wire in use.

579. Colorado came into the Union as the thirty-eighth state in 1876. It has been called the "centennial

state."

580. Presidential Election.

occurred this year.

Another presidential election The Republican candidates were Ruther

ford B. Hayes, of Ohio, for President, and William 1876 A. Wheeler, of New York, for Vice President. The Democrats voted for Samuel J. Tilden, of New York, and Thomas A. Hendricks, of Indiana. During the years of reconstruction, committees had been appointed in each of the

SAMUEL J. TILDEN

Southern States to receive and count the returns of the elections. They were called "returning boards," and had great power. When the returns for the presidential electors were first received in South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana, they gave a majority of votes to the Democrats; but the returning boards cast out a great many votes, declaring that the Republican voters had been threatened and prevented from voting. The Democratic electors claimed that they had been fairly elected, and accused the Republicans of fraud. The electors of both parties, therefore, sent their votes to Congress. Double returns were also sent from Oregon. The matter was finally settled by a commission of five senators, five representatives, and five judges of the Supreme Court. According to their decision, Hayes and Wheeler had received one electoral vote more than the other candidates. The Democrats thought this unjust, but made no further opposition.

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY

What was the condition of the South when the war closed? What did the behavior of the negroes during the war show? What were the troubles endured by the Southern people during the years of reconstruction What was the President's plan for readmitting the seceded states ? What plan did Congress favor? What classes of men do you think should be allowed to vote? Give your reasons. What questions were settled by the treaty of Washington? Would these questions have been settled in the same way one hundred years before? What is meant by demonetizing silver?

CHAPTER II

PROGRESS

HAYES'S ADMINISTRATION-1877-81

581. Removal of the Federal Troops. One of the first events of President Hayes's administration was the removal of the Federal troops from the South

1877

ern States. The Southern Democrats then resumed control of the state governments, and the South began to recover rapidly from the effects of the war.

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES

582. Railroad Strikes. The depressed condition of business resulting from the panic of 1873 1877 made it necessary to reduce the wages of workmen on the railroads. The men were so enraged at this, that they stopped work on different roads and threatened the lives of men employed in their places. The number of the strikers increased rapidly. They gathered together in mobs, tearing up the railroad tracks and stopping the trains and the mails. The trouble began on the principal lines of railroad in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia; it soon spread through other states, and became so unmanageable that the militia could not control it. A request was then sent to the President for help. The miners joined in the strike and the riots. At Pitts

1 Rutherford Birchard Hayes was born in Delaware, Ohio, in 1822. He graduated at Kenyon College, Ohio, and afterwards completed a course at the Harvard Law School. At Fremont, Ohio, he began the practice of his profession, but he soon removed to Cincinnati, where he became a successful member of the bar. He entered the army in 1861 as major in an Ohio regiment; he served through the war, and had reached the rank of brevet major general at its close. His name was enrolled among the members of Congress in 1865. After a reëlection he resigned his seat to become governor of his state. This honor he received three times from the people of Ohio. He died in 1893.

burg, the state troops attempted to arrest the leading rioters,