Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-02-22
The Oregon Ctprers Deciphered.

L RtHtOt and
were trying to earn their fees by
disappearing the law applica BILE
to the Louisiana case, before the
commission, the Senate Committee
on Elections and Privileges were
translating the cipher dispatches
which passed between Gramercy
Park and Oregon. The ssGobble"
dispatch had been deciphered already
but others still worse than that one
appear in the llst.
These ten telsgrams make up a
record which has no parallel in polit-
ical infamy. Every one of them either
came from or was directed to Til
den's private residence. Every one
must eoncede that those addressed TO
his nephew and cor fdential clerk,
Pelton, were virtually directed to
Tilden himself, and that the answers
sent were such as be dictated. Pat
rick and Kelley conspired with Til
den, first, to secure for Cronin. who
was not elected, certificate of elect
ion, and second to bribe either Odell
or Cartwright. Senator Kelley and
Patrick seem 10 have concocted this
plot. Tilden was willing to supply
the funds $3.50 000) provided the OBJ
legations were made contingent on
the result in March The old man
was little timid about paying out
his money on an uncertainty. We
will take them up in their order. But
before doing 80 we append the ex-
PLANTATION of how tho key was found.
WASHINGTON February IA - The Senate
Committee on Privileges and Elections we're
in session until very late hour this evening,
occupied With the examination of Alfred b.
Human and A. w. Shaw of Detroit, Mich. who
have had business transactions with j. III. N.
Patrich, of Oamha and who communicated
with him by cipher for some years past. The
key to the cipher used by them is'The House
hold English Dictionary" and by the aid of
this key the following translation of the ci>
pher dispatches relative to the Oregon elects
oral case were made.
The first in the list reads as fol.
lows
PORTLAND. Nov. %, 1875.
w. T. Pelton, l5 Gramercy Park, New York.
Certificates will be issued to one Democrat.
Must purchase Republican Elector to recog-
niZe and act with Democrat and secure vote
and prevent trouble. Deposit $4,000 to my
credit with Kountze Brothers, Wall street.
Answer. j. III. PATRICK.
fully endorse this. JAMES II. KELLEY.
The next day came this answer:
New York, November %, 1876.
j. Ii. N. Patrick, Portland, Oregon.
How soon will Eoyern0r decide certificate
If you will make obligation contingent on re-
suit in March, can be done. Scramble slight
ly Unnecessary. No signiture.
1t would seem that Tilden is eau
tious in the expenditure of money
for political purposes. Ten thousand
dollars is a very smsll price fer
vote decisive of the Presidency. But
then he was at that time negotiating
for the purchase of the Louisiana
Returning Board, the South Carolina
Supreme Court, and mourning a
heavy expense in Florida. Ii his
scheme in Louisiana worked, he
vould"drop''several thousand in that
State alone. He had "bIg deal, as
they say on Change, and vast as is
his wealth, be felt constrained to be
wary. To his pals, the "old mans"
hesitancy must have seemed niger
ly, but they only knew their own
comparatively small part of the gi-
gantic swindle in progress.
The next day an unsigned dis
patch, but evidently from the same
brace of rogues, was sent to Tilden's
house as follows
PORTLAND, Oregon, November go, 1875
W. 7. Pelton, 10 Gramercy Park, New York.
Governor all right without reward. Will
issue certificates Tuesday. The Republicans
threaten that if certificate is issued to ignore
the Democratic claim and fill the vacancy, and
thus defeat the action of the Governor. One
Elector must be paid to recognize the Demo-
crat to secure a majority. Have employed
three lawyers-the editor of the only Repub~
ican paper as one-lawyer's fees $4,000. 1t
viii take $4,000 for Republican Elector. Must
raise money. Can't make fee contingent. Sail
Saturday Kelly and Bellenger will act Com
municate with them. Must act prompt.
No Signature.
With one genuine Elector and an
other bogus one the conspirators
would have q majority of the college
and with the only Republican news
paper in the State gagged, they
thought they would have sure
thing. The contingency policy they
couldn't work. Even Cronin as be
said in his testimony before the Sen
ate commit tee some weeks ago. in
sisted upon payment in advance. Pat
rick, the evident sender of the above
dispatch, had approached him on the
subject. He knew better after the
blunt rebuff administered to him by
Cronin, to try Odell or Cartwright
The next day, December l, Tilden
brought out G brand new scheme.
The Legislature of Oregon, as well as
the Governor, was Democratic. Why
not convene an extra session, repeal
the old law allowing the Electoral
College to ell its own vacancies, and
authorize the Governor to do so, or
the Legislature itself We confess
that was bright idea, and at first
one is quite at loss to understand
why the pals at the Oregon end of
the line did not <stumb BILE" to it. Two
dispatches were sent that day (Fri-
day., each, apparently, Independent
of the other. They read ss follows !:
NEW YORK, December l.
J. H. n Patrick
Can't you send special messenger and con-
vene the Legislature by Tuesday and elect an
Eectore Ncces-ar, expense would he paid.
See proceedings in other State telegraphed
you. Consult Governor ard Senator. Answer.
No Signiture.l
PORTLAND, Ore. December l, 1876.
To the Hon. s. J. Tilden No. l5 Gramercy
Park, New York.
shall decide every point in case of Post
Office Elector in favor of the highest Demos
cratic Elector and grant the certificate accord
ingly. Rule morning of the 9th. In conse-
ouence confidential.
Patrick for Grover (Gobble).1
The Tilden proposition was held
under advisement until the next day
when Kelley and Patrick telegraph>