Unfortunately for President Hayes, he began his term with the electoral controversy still fresh. He was nicknamed “His Fraudulency” by his enemies and many felt that he had stolen the election. However, he was a man of strong convictions and believed that he truly had won the election. During his time in office, he attempted to get civil service reform passed, which was especially important after all the scandals during Grant's administration. The patronage system was so well established, however, that he, not only failed to pass the civil service reform, but also managed to anger members of his own party, which would lead to his party abandoning him before the end of his term.

Currency Issues

A major issue during Hayes's time in office centered on the nature of currency in the United States. At this time, currency was backed by gold or silver, but as silver became more readily available, it began to lose its value. Because of its availability, some politicians argued that silver should be bought and turned into coins to help make money more readily available. Others, however — including Hayes — felt that “greenbacks” should be redeemable in gold as a more stable form of currency. The Bland-Allison Act, passed in 1878 over Hayes's veto, required the government to buy silver to create more coins. This was short lived, and in 1879 the Resumption of Specie Act passed providing that greenbacks created after January 1, 1879, would be backed with gold.

Chinese Immigration

Another major issue in the 1880s was Chinese immigration. There was a strong anti-Chinese sentiment, especially in the West, as many claimed they were taking too many jobs. Congress tried to pass a law, which Hayes vetoed, restricting Chinese immigration. In 1880, Hayes had his secretary of state, William Evarts, make an agreement with China that restricted immigration. This helped to ameliorate those who wanted to completely deny any further Chinese immigration.