Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-10-19
THE CIPHER DISPATCHES.
The History OF How They Were Invent to
the ublfc.
Corresnondence New York Herald

Correspondence New York Herald.
Washington, Oct. 12.-In the same month
of February Mr.. Fie DIS committee in the
house and Senator Morton's committee in
the senate almos, simultaneously demanded
Of the Western Uni'n Telegraph company
the election dispatches of both sides. Mr..
Orion, then president of the company, re-
fused to surrender them, and here begins
the curious story which is whispered here
in democratic as we'll as political circles.
II ia said that Mr.. Field h d obtained pos.
session Of copies of a number of republicsn
dispatches, some Of them damaging TO per-
sons at least as high as senators, and others
Of them in cipher, out limiting at matters
and suggesting things which it was believed.
the republicans would not like to have dis
closed to the public. He, it is said, wished
to get hold Of the whole republican cores
pondence, believing that this world enable
him to decipher some dispatches already in
ing Of others. 1t is added that before re-
dispatches he prudently consulted Mr.. HeH-
lit, the chairman of the depocratic national
COMMITTEES, as to whether any damaging dis
~coveries could be made against the demo.
Gratis and that Mr.. Hewitt assured him, for
himself and for the national committee,
that he might safely go ahead, because there
was nothing on the democratic side which
would not bear the light. Thereupon he
demanded the dispatches the senate COM
mittee at once issued a similar requisition,
and Mr.. Orion, formally refusing in order
to gain time, came to Washington.
The following is the atory of what he did
here. 1t is said that he plainly told a dem
ocratic and a republican senator in a secret
interview :-"You are threatening the coun-
try with a horrible scandal. l am trying
to prevent it by refusing to give up the de-
epatches. But l wish you 10 know that |
have no notion of goingto Jail to please any
of you. Ifyou insist on their production you
shall have them, but they will not help
either party. They convict conspicuous
men IN both sides. / know what l am
talking about, and to prove it to you l will
show you two or three examples of what
your investigation would bring out against
both sides if you force me to give up the
dispatches" Whereupon it is said he show.
ed to these two senators, one republican and
the other democratic, certain dispatches
compromising persons of a good deal of
importance on each side. 1t is said that the
two senators, each for himself, thereupon
declared that they we're not inclined to stand
OChiuA 0uy u II OOuC WIOuk Su0I
80 far as they were concerned they would
insist on the production of the dispatches,
and that they were not disinclined to see
political ruin overtake men who had acted
the part these dispatches seemed to denote.
Thereupon Mr.. Orion determined to sur
render the dispatches, and the story says,
caused them to be sent to the senate COM
mittee aud that when they got there, sena-
tor Morton. AZ chairman of that committee
fully alive to everything which might dam
age the democrats or prevent damage to the
republicans, made a careful secret examina-
ton of them, in the course of which,
he found the cipher dispatches now
getting published and other matter 30 dan
gerous to the democrats that at first he was
inclined to fling the whole before the public
as the best way to ruin Nj. Tilden's hopes,
but he and the one or two he took into his
confidence soon saw that the work of desci-
phering the dispatches would take great
deal o ftime; they saw also, it is said, that .
one sided exposure would not be permitted
by public opinion, and that il both aides
were shown up the republicans would also
be disgraced. Thereupon, this story goes on
Senator Morton determined upon a .hrewder
and farther reaching stratagem. He bum
died up the democratic and republican de
spatches togather, and having putthem into
a safe place he called to him two prominent
and influential democratic and said 10 them,
"Gentlemen. you ought to stop this flibus-
tering and all this talk about revolution and
m army 10 force the inauguration Of Ti!den'
They replied, I'VE are not in favor Of fiji.
bus,er.ng or Of revolution, as you we'll know
Senator"
Senator Mortop:-"I understand that; bu,
you ought TO use your grea, influence uPos