Hays was probate and county judge for
Ouachita County, Arkansas between 1900 and 1905. Hays served as a judge with the Thirteenth Circuit Court from 1906 to 1913. When Governor
Joseph Taylor Robinson resigned in 1913 to serve in the United States Senate, a special election was held and Hays was elected governor. His administration focused on road improvement and enactment of a statewide
prohibition law. The Hays administration also enacted various labor laws and completed construction of the new state capitol building. Hays won reelection in a contested election in 1914. Hays returned to private law practice in Little Rock after his term as governor, and published several articles in national periodicals, including ''Scribner's''. ==Death==