Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-02
TARDY TILDEN.

10 WHICH Mr. aeW1tb IopAcS.
am very unwilling to believe of any man
that he would deliberately misrepresent facts
in order to injure another; but Mr.. Waiter
son ought to have known when he wrote this
passage that Gov. Tilden would not con-
firm his statement. 1t would be enough
for me to deny explicitly, as do deny. that
knew s.that Mr.. Tilden disapproved of the
electoral bill, . and to affirm as I do affirm
that he never expressed to me either his ap-
proval or disapproval of that measure prior
to the 4th of March, 1877. But justice to
him and myself alike requires that | should
make brief statement of the facts In re-
ference to the origin and passage of the
electoral bill. The first knowledge ever
had of the bill was when it was presented to
the House electoral committee by the Senate
electoral committee at their first joint con-
ference. 1t had been framed in secret by
the Senate committee, without any consulta-
ton with mo, or with any Democratic men,
Der of the House committee. 1t came to as
in finished state, as was stated, with the
unanimous approval of all the members of
the Senate committee, Democrats as well as
Republicans. In framework and substance,
it was the bill which was finally adopted.
with some important notifications which
the House committee were subsequently
able to secure. It contained, however,
provision by which the final constitution of
the commission was to be determined by lot.
The presentation of this scheme took the
Democratic members of the House commit
tee by surprise. / went at once to New York,
and passed the greater part of Jan. IA with
Gov. Tilden, discussing the provisions of the
Senate bill, of which l gave MIN copy. He
complained that 1t was surprise to him, and
of the attitude of the Democratic Senators in
having committed themselves to the meas
ure without consultation with him. He OBJ
iected to some of the details of the bill,
especially the provision for lot, and said that
he would never consent to subject the Presl-
dency to game of chance. He asked for
delay, which told him was impossible, be-
cause the Senate committee had notified US
that they felt constrained to make an imme-
date report to the Senate, because of the
brief interval left for making the electoral
count. tried hard to get him either to APP
prove or disapprove the measure, but be
neither approved nor did he take the re-
sponsibility of advising his friends, under
the circumstances, to oppose and defeat the
bill, when he was powerless to control the
subsequent legislation. Before leaving, |
told HIM that if he would not take this re-
spoons bility we must act on our own judg-
ment, and that we had duties to perform as
members of Congress which would compel
us to act, ana act promptly. then left him
to take the train, without having secured
either his express approval or disapproval OF
the measure, but with the conviction resting
on my mind that he did not wish his friends
to be responsible for the defeat of the meas
ure. But he was very urgent for more
time. have since been told that he was at
that time engaged in celebrating a plan of
procedure upon which he would be prepared
to stand, but he did not then tell me this,
and had no knowledge of the fact until
long afterward.
The next morning early, communicated
to my colleagues the views of Mr.. 'lilden, SC
| far as was III possession of them, and we al
once decided that we could not assent to the
plan of choosing any of the judges by lot
and at the subsequent meeting of the Joint
committees that plan was abandoned, and
| the plan known as the "Four Senior Justice
plan," hereinafter described, was proposed
to US by the Senate committee.
This brings me to Mr.. Watterson's mex
allegation, which, as I understand it, CON
tains the specification of the falsehood which
he charges upon me, and which have here
tofore been compelled to deny in the dark
You know, and know, that on Monday even
ing, the 18th of January, ameeting OF the com
mittee of advisement considered the terms o
| the bill, alphabetically submitted to 1t; tina
| at that meeting l opposed them; that you wer
dumb as an oyster as to Mr.. Tilden's opinions
that, finally, all agreed to support the meas
ure, most of us believing it to be the emana
ton of our chief l have charged, and | d
charge, that your failure to deal frankly wit
us on that OCCASION your failure to tell us wha
Mr.. Tilden had said to you the day before, wa
the practical suppression of his more sagaciou
counsels, and to all intents the betrayal of you
friend.
The charge of falsehood, then, reduces il
self to this: Not that / made any statemer
which was untrue, but that [ refrained fro1
making any statement at all, and thus SUP
pressed the truth; OF, as the logicians stat
it, my crime was not eIpreSsa0 tulsa, br
snpp ressio Uera accept the issue, and al
glad to have it defined. answer that | ha
not suppressed single fact that was with
my knowledge or keeping as to Mr.. Tilden
views; but that, on the contrary, had bee
) most careful and explicit in communicate
, to my associates every particle of knowled
which myself possessed as to Mr.. Iilden
views. This knowledge was limited. as
have stated, to his objections to the choit
of judges by lot, which provision had a
r ready been stricken from the bill, and to b
e desire for delay, which everybody, witho'
4 dissent, SO far as | can recall, regarded {
, out of the question.
Having put in this general denial, I no
proceed to traverse Mr.. Watterson's stat
ments categorically.
; There was meeting in the speaker
t room, as remember, on the 10th, and M
5 on the 18th of January, 1877, at which we
r present the advisory committee, the DEM
cratic members of the electoral committe
= and some leading Democratic members WI
were not on either committee. Nh. Waite
son was present. acted as chairman, az
stated alphabetically the provisions of Il
. bill then pending between the Senate ar
9 House electoral committees, and requisite
9 on behalf of the House committee advice
Q to whether it should be agreed to or nc
p ! The bill provided for commission, to COZ
= sist of five members of the Senate, Fl
r members of the House, and the four SEMI
a justices of the supreme court, who we
r themselves to select a fifth justice. II
r plan was fully discussed, and finally appro
+ ed, very reluctantly, but as the best attai
e able measure of settlement. Mr.. Watterst
= did not oppose it, except in the sense that
made speech full of complaint, and stat
that all had been lost when refused to a
peal to the people, and that there was
- other course left but to take the best OF
). durable terms. was not at that time
possession of Mr.. Tilden's views as to t
= special provisions of the bill as modife
and could not, therefore, communicate the