The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-08-21
THE ELECTORAL CONSPIR-
.v ACY.
MantOn Marble Gives His Chapter
of Secret History.
Connection of Mr.. TiIden with the
Memorable Events of 1876.


Mr.. Manton Marble, in letter on
the Electoral Commission, after CIV
ing graphic history of the great
conspiracy and the state of affairs in
the South, thus states Mr.. Tilden's
connection with the affairs of 1876:
So soon as the venal infamy Of the
Returning Board at the three gar
risoned capitals had combined to
make his action necessary. Mr.. Til
den took immediate pains to advise
his friends foremost in the House of
Representatives, that the final sue.
cess of the compIot was impossible
if that House would stand firmly and
inmovably on the unbroken series of
precedents formed by the twenty
two Presidential couats. from 1898
to 1872; or, as one distingu ished
Western member of it has said:
What Mr. Tilden's plan was. re-
peatedly from the day that Congress
rea-ssembIed, had been set forth and
pressed upon his friends in the lead
ership of the House, by advice. that
they should expose and combat in
full debate the threatened unwarran-
table usurpation by the President of
the Senate of the right to count the
votes and to select the votes to be
counted. and that they should take
not one other or further step till In
both houses the great but pacific con-
stitutional battle had been fought
and won upon that ISSUE"
AMMUNITION PROVIDED.
After thus advising that all be
staked upon the law Of the land. the
practice of the two houses and faith
in the people, Mr.. Tilden left moth
ing undone to give that policy fair
auspices. It is not secret that by
his suggestion, a lifelong friend, the
Hon. John Rigelow, prepared and
the Appletons published Dan. 2,
1870. a volume comprising the off,
cial history of every presidential
count, and every debate in Congress
on counting OF the electoral votes.
To this he prefxed a concise sum-
mary of the facts and analysis of the
law, both alike demonstrating as to
House and Senate. the eO-equality Of
their separate powers in the count;
and as to the House. upon a failure
of election by the colleges, its ex-
elusive aad final power to choose the
President. Thenceforth guerilla war
fare on the side of the conspiracy,
like Gen. Dix's snap shots and
Stougnton's gymnastics. In letter to
the Times from behind Ferry's bluff.
ceased to be prudent. Mr.. Bigelow's
exhaustive and mastery tract was
widely circulated by the Democratic
National Committee and the same
compendium of debates reprinted by
order of Congress itself; SO that, be-
sides plan of campaign, here were
"arsenals of ammunition provided,
and lethaf weapons fashioned to the
hand Of every hater OF fraud.
THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT. -
The ground was well chosen for
the first engagement, Mr.. Tilden.
in December, had prepared two reso'
lutions making the sagacious and
far reaching issue upon which. ne
chose to rely. which were sent TO the
House Committee on the Privileges,
Powers and Duties of the House of
Representative in counting the Elec.
toral votes. The modified resola-
tions finally adopted and reported by
that committee to the House for Its
passage. had in advance been sub.
nitted to andapproved oy him. They
are as follows: so M -