The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-10-24
THE CIPHER TELEGRAMS,
MR., TILDEN MAKES A SWEEPING
DENIAL.
-
He Carries the War into the Hayes Fraud Camp
And Shows Who PrOntted by the Action OF
Corrupt BOSrds-The Rascal WretcAos
Who FalslAed Returns are Reward
cd by OhlCe-The Presidential
Thieves Who Stole the once
for Hayes and OhlCe for
Themselves and
Friends.
aramercy Park, New York, Oct, II, 1878,

Gramercy Park New York. Oct. II, 1878.
Ihave read the publications in the Tribune Of
the 9Th inst, purpOring to be tranblations Of cy'
pher kilograms relating to the canvass Of votes in
Florida at the Presidential election Of 1876, and
have looked over those printed in the Tribune OF
this morning. relating to the canvass in South
Carolina. have no knowledge Of the existence
Of these kilograms, nor any information about
them, except what has been derived from or
since the publication Of the Tribune. 30 much
for these kilograms generally. shall speak yet
more specifically as to some Of them.
First--Those which relate to an offer purport'
ing 10 have been made in Lehalf Of some mem
bers of the State Board Of CanVassers Of Florida,
to give for a peCunlary compensation, certlh'
Gates 10 the Democratic electors who had been
actually chosen, None Of these kilograms or any
telegram communicating such an offer, or an
BWering such an Offer or relating to such an offer,
was seen by me, translated TO me, or the contents
Of In any manner made known to me. had
no knowledge of the existence or purport Of any
telegram relating TO that subject, nor did learn
the fact that such an offer Of the Florida certif
Gates had been made until long after the sixth Of
December at which time the certificates were de-
llvered and the electoral votes cast and when
the information casually reached me, as OF past
event, 1t was accompanied by the statement that
the offer had been rejected.
secOndly-As TO the publications In the Tribune
Of this morning, purportng to be iranslatons Of
Cypher telegrams relating 10 the canvass OF votes
in South Carolina in 1876 which l have seen
since wrote the foregoing can speak of them
no less definitely and positively. No one Of such
kilograms either in cypher or tranlated, was ever
shown to or It's contents made known to me. No
offer or negotiation In behalf Of the State canvas
BeIs of South Carolina or any of them or any deal
ing with any of them In respect to the certificates
to the electors was ever authorized or sanctioned
In any manner by me, directly or through any
other person.
will add that no offer to give the certificates
Of any Returning Board or State Canvassers Of
any State to the Democratic electors, In consider.
alton Of promises Of office, or money, or property;
no negotiation of that nature in behalf Of any
member Of such Board or with any such mem.
bers was made. No attempt to influence the &C.
tlon Of any elector Of President and Vice Presi-
dent by any such motives, was ever entertained,
considered or tolerated by me, or by anybody
with my influence, by my consent or with my
knowledge or acquiesCence, No such contem'
plated transaction could, al any time, have come
within range Of my power without that power be
ing instantly exerted to crush 1t out
A belief was doubtless current that certificates
from Florida, conforming to the actual vote Of
the people, were in the market II have not the
slightest doubt In the world," said Mr. saltonStsll
who was in Florida at the time, in a recent inter.
view with the Herald, "That that (Florida) vote
could have been bought II Mr.. Tilden had been
dishonOrable enough to desire It, and for great
deal less than 5000 or $4,000 1t was known
that either one Of the two members who compOs.
ed majority OF the Florida State Canvassers cod
control It's action, and give the certicates 70 the
Democrats. Either one Of them could settle the
Presidential controversy In favor Of the Demo
cratic candidates. who licked but one vote.'-
How accessible to venal inducements they were
iB shown by the testimony OF McLtn, the Chair
man Of the Board Of State Canvassers, in his ex
animation before the Potter Committee in June
last. He admitted that the true vote Of the peO-
pie Of Florida was in favor Of the Democratic cleo
tors and that fact even appeared on the face Of
the county returns, including smong them the
return from Baker county Notwithstanding the
great frauds against the Democrats In some OF The
county returns. He also confessed that In voting
to give certificates TO the Republican electors he
acted under the influence OF promises that he
should be rewarded in case Mr.. Hayes became
the President ADDING that certainly these prom
ises must have had q strong control over my
Alter the certificates otthe Louisiana Returning
Board had been repeatedly offered TO Mr.. Hewitt
and others for money, they were given in favor
of the Republican electors, who had been reject
cd by large majority Of the voters, and the
members Of this Returning Board now possess
the most important Federal Offices In that State
Tire pregnant fact altUdvs remains that nOnt of
these corrupt Boards gaze their certificates 10 Demo
cratic electors, but they all did give them TO The Repub-
licdn electors,
had perfectly fixed purpose, from which
never deviaIed in word or act-A purpose which
was known to or assumed by all with whom l
was In habiual communication, II the PTesi.
dency Of the United States was 10 be disposed Of
by certificates to be won from corrupt Returning
Boards BY any form Of Venal Inducements, Whe.
ther Of office or mOdey, was resolved to take no
part in the shameful competition, and took
none.
The main interest OF the victory which resulted
In my election, was the expectation that, through
the Chief Macy system OF reforms similar 70 that
which had been accomplished IN our metrop,
oils and state administration, would be achieved
In the Federal government For this object It |
was necessary should be untrammelled by any |
commitment In the choice Of men TO execute the |
Of1ciel trusts Of the Government, and untram- |
melled by any obligations to special Interests. |
had been nominated and was elected without |
one limitation Of my perfect Independence. TO |
have surrendered or compromised the advanta |
ges OF this position by q degrading com petition |
for Returning Board certificates would have been |
to abandon all that made victory desirable ev. |
erything which could have sustained me in the |
larger struggle that victory would have imposed |
4
lial chair In full command OF all my reBourcesfOr
usefulness or not at ali. While thus abstaining
from an ignOmiRiOus competition for such certif.
Gates saw these certificates obtained for the Re.
publican electors, who had not been chosen by
the people. These false and fraudulent certif.
Gates, now confessed and proved to have been OBJ.
tanned by corrupt inducements, were afteTwaTd
made the preteX@ for taking from the people
their hghtful choice for President and Vice
President. These certificates were declared by
the tribunal 70 which Congress had abdlcated
the function Of deciding the count Of the disputed
electoral votes TO be the absolute and indisputa.
BILE conveyance Of title to the Chief Msgstracy Of
the nation. Florida, which had united all her
executive, legislative and judicial powers to tes
tfy TO Congress, long, before the count, who were
her genuine agents, which had by statute caused
a recanvass Of the issue Of the new certificates
and formal sovereign authorization Of the
right OF true electors TO deposit votes entitled TO
be counted was held TO be incapable TO commu-
nicate TO Congress fact which cannot now be
disputed: Congress- though vested by the Consti.
tuition with authority to count the electoral votes
though unrestricted either as to time when Il
should receive evidence, or ag 10 the nature Of
that evidence, and though subject 70 no appeal
from i9 decision, was declared To have 10 power
to guide its own count by any information II cod
obtain, or by any authority which It might accept
from the wrong and betrayed State, whose vote
was about to be falsiHed. /,
The monstrous conclusion was thus reached
that the act Of one man holding the deciding
vote In board Of state CanvasseTy (for without
his concurrence frauds Of other Eeturniag boards ,
would have failed) In giving certificates known
at the time and now, by himself eonfesseu to be ,
false and fraudulent, and confessed to have been
obtained by promise Of office, certificates whose ,
character was known months before Congress
could begin the count, must prevail over all the
remedial powers OF the State Of Florida and of the
Congress of the United States combined. and must
dispose Of the Chief MagislTaey Of this Republic