Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-18
TO BE PRESIDENT HoNoRABLY,
Or Not to Hold the Office, Was Mr.
Tilden's Programme.
VERY SIGNIFICANT FACT.
All Of the Votes Offered For Sale Were
Secured by the Republicans.
MANToN MARBLES CARD1N FULL
He Makes Clear and Incisive Excul-
patory Statement.

patOry Statement.
NEW YORK, Oct. III have read the publica-
lions In the Tribune of the 9th inst, purport-
| ing to be translations of kilograms relating to
the canvass of votes in Florida at the Presiden.
tial 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 recollection about them ex-
cept what has been derived since the publ.
cation of them. g., much for these kilograms.
shall speak of it more specifically as to some
of them.
First-Those which relate to the offer pur-
porting to have been made IN behalf Of some
member of the State board of canvassers of
FLORIDA, to give, for a pecuniary com pensation
certificates to the Democratic electors who had
been actually chosen. None of these kilograms,
or any telegram communicating such an offer.
or answering such offer, or relating to such
offer, was seen by me, translated to me, or
the contents of it in any manner made
known to me. I have no knowledge
OF the existence or purpoet of any telegram re-
that such offer of Florida certificates had been
made until long after the 9th of December, at
which time the certificates were delivered and
the electoral votes cast, and when casually re-
ceived was past event. and it was accom- panied
by statament that the offer had been rejected.
Secondly-As to the publications in the
Tribune of this morning purporting to be
translations of cipher kilograms relating to the
canvass of votes in South Carolina of 1875.
which have seen since I wrote the foregoing.
can speak OF them no less definitely and
positively. No such kilograms either in cipher
or translated, was ever shown to. or it's con-
tents made known to me. No offer or negotia-
tion on behalf of the State canvass in South
Carolina or any dealing with them in respect
to certificates of electors was ever authorized
or sanctioned in any manner by me, or through
any other person.
Will add that no offer to give the certificates
OF any returning board, or State canvasser of
any State to the Democratic electors in consid-
GRAFTON of promises Of Office, or money, or
property; no negotiation of that nature in be-
half OF any member such board, or with any
such member; no attempt to influence the ac-
ton of any such member, or to influence the
action Of any elector of President and vice
president by such motives, ever enter
tanned, considered or tolerated by me, or by
nybody within my influence by my consent.
or with my knowledge or acquiescence. No
such contemplated action could at any time
have come within the range of my power, with
out that power being instantly exerted to
crush it out.
belief was doubtless current that certif-
Gates from the State of Florida conforming to
the actual vote of the people were in market
Il have not the slightest doubt" said Mr.. Sal
install, who was in Florida at the time, in a
recent interview with the Herald, s'that the
Florida vote could have been bought if Mr..
Tilden had been dishonorable enough to desire
it done, for great deal less THAI $4,000 or
$40 1000" 1t was known that either Of the two
members who composed the majority of the
Florida State canvassers could control its ac-
ton and give certificates to the Democrats.
Either one could sell the Presidential contro-
versy to the Democratic candidate who lacked
but one vote.
How accessible to venal inducements those
men were is shown by the testimony Of Nc
Lin, chairman Of the board of State canvassers.
in his examination before the Potter COM
mittee in June last. He said: ''True the vote
of the people of Florida was in favor of the
Democrats, and that fact then appeared on the
face of the county returns, including among
them true returns from Baker county, notwlth-
standing the great frauds against the Demo-
Gratis in the same county returns
He also confessed that in voting to give GER
tihcates to the Republican electors, he acted
under influence and promise that he should be
rewarded in case MIR. Hayes became President,
adding that certainly these promises must have
had a strong control over their action.
After the certificates of the Louisiana return
Hewitt and others for money. they were given
in favor of the Republican, electors who had
been rejected by large majority Of voters,
and the members of this returning board now
possess most Of the confederate Offices in that
State.
The pregnant fact always remains that none
of these corrupt boards gave the certificates to
Democratic electors but they all did give them
to the Republican electors. I had perfectly
fixed purpose, from which never deviated in
word or act-a purpose which was known to
or assumed by all with whom was in the
habit of communicating-if the Presidency
was to be disposed Of by certificates to be won
from corrupt returning boards by inducements,
whether of offices or money. was resolved to
take no part in the shameful com petition. and
/ took none.
The main interest of victory. which resulted
in my election, was the expectation that
through the chief magistracy system Of re-
forms similar to that which had been accom-
plished in our metropolis, and in our State adj
ministration, would be achieved in the federal
government For this object it was necessary
that should be untrammeled by any commit
ment in the choice of men to execute official
trusts of the government and untrammeled bv
any obligations to special interests. I had
been nominated and was elected without one
limitation of my perfect independence To
have surrendered or compromised the advan-
tages of this position, by degrading competition
for returning board certificates, would have
been to abandon all that made victory desira,
ble-verything which could have sustained me