New-York tribune., 1878-10-28
MORE TALK ABOUT CIPHERS.


FX-PRESIDENT WOOLSEYS VIEWS.
MS OPINION OF THE CIPHER DIsPATCHEs-MR.
TILDEN's ANXIETY FOR oFFICE-HIs POLITICAL
CAREER CLOSED BY THE CIPHER REVELATIONS
rFFrCI on THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY-THE CURSE
OF AMERICAN POLITICS.
The attention of ex- President WOOlsey, OF ale
College was called day or two ago to the TACT thaV
in his first campaign speech delivered III new
Haven. IN the Fall of 1876 while speaking OF Mr.
Tilden. he had said: 81 feel this-that Mr.. Iliden
has sought his office with most uncommon anxiety
/ don't remember any President who seems to have
pursued his object, so far as l understand his
object with greater assiduty, and, may say, Win
greater ability and adToitness than he"
"What is your present opinion of Mr. lllden' in
view of the cipher dispatches and Mr.. Tidens de
NAL of completely in them?" was asked
IL am inclined to adhere to the opinion ex-
pressed in the speech which yOu quote" President
Woolsey replied. Perhaps, however, an allusiOh
TO Mr. Tlden which made IN address delivered
shortly afterward in Hartford would express my
opinion more decidedly. then said il was evident
that if Mr. TiIden were not actively and personally
engaged in conducting his campaign, he was on the
edge of it, so to speak. Mr. 1ilden is man OF
ability and wide experience and II is almost lmpoS-
sible TO believe that man OF ms adToitheSs ana
POLITICAL skill should have been absolutely ignorant
Of the matters that going on III his house, ana
in which he had so deep an interest He Is too
shrewd manager, too much of a politician, not to
have had the oversight, if nothing more, of the
plans of the Democrats which were to give them
possession of the Presidency. II is possible how
ever. that Mr.. Tiden saw that it necessary for
him TO keep IN the background. L can imagine a
case IN which general might think it advisable,
for some reason that he should not show himself;
and he might present outline of his plans to hls
subordinate officers. and direct them to devote all
their energies toward bringing about certain re-
sp1ts without communicating the various steps of
their progress to him. Mr.. Tiden's denial of any
knowledge of what was going on around HIM, leads
one to think that he may have taken similar
course; that he may have mapped out the work
and then left it for his friends to accomplish lie
must have been aware of the outline of the plan,
and it is hard to believe that he not cognizan
of the details as the work advanced"
"Do YOU think Mr.. Tilden will ever again take an
active part in politics =
"No. The publication of the cipher dispatches
makes it an mpOSsibiity for him again toask Tor
the peoples suffrages l sincerely hope that we
NAV be spared another such sIght-an open trading
for the hi CHEST Office III the land. 1t was disgrace,
and if Mr.. Tilden not the leader in IT, he was
undoubtedly pQrticCps crimiHis. Besides tins, Mt
Tilden, should judge, is a cold man; that is, he
lacks the PERSONAL magnetism the power of making
''i-N4'
instance had. and this fact will cfcctualy pre-
vent his being urged again for Office"
"What Will be the effect the Democratic
party ?"
political parties can stand hard blows if they
feel that the blame rests on the shoulders Of ind
viduals of the party and not on the party as a
whole The party Will shift tine disgrace upon Dir.
Tildcn and will not suffer rmatcuaily When this is
done be must either bear the disgrace and be eXlled
from the party, or dsproye the charges. The only
reply which the Democrats make Is to charge that
similar corruption existed among Republicans who
were looking after the interests Of the party in
South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana at the same
time If 1 were a Democrat ! should get ont Of the
difficulty BY acknowledging that some OF the dis
patches-those that do not cTmlndte any one-were
genuine and correctly translated. and by charging
that the Others were manufactured by means Of the
KEYS that fit the genuine ones. Tho persons Hph-
Gated, however have denied the accuracy of the
dispatches in such general ana indefinite terms that
stronger proof than not guilty" must be brought
forward III order to diSproye them. Infer from re-
cent remarks in The TRIBUNE that the matter is in
some way to come before the courts 1t will be
almost useless to try to bring about an inyestiga-
hon in the next Congress, because Congress Will
probably be in the hands of the Democrats and they
will e1ectually oppose any attempt to open the
matter
"The possibility Of bribery is the curse OF our
politics. Matters may be bettcred somewhat by
change in the method Of electing Presidential
question of paramount Importance but there viii
always be close elections in several States and so
long as there are some who will offer brIbes and
others who will take them politics will be liable
to be disgraccd'
"Will the Democratic party become Greenback
party p
:" 1t Is possible. There are many wemeaning,
honest men i'll both parties who believe that the
adoption by the Government of gTeenbacks as the
National currency will prove great blessing, and
am inclined to think that new party will be
formed on that principle. Butler will poll larger
vote than expec ed fear, for he will draw voters
both from the Democratic and Republican ranks,
and his personal popularity among certain class,
and his unscrupulous smartness, Will accomplish a
great deal"