Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-10-29
by the statement that the offer had

porting to be transiations of cipher
kilograms relating to the canvass
of votes in South Carolina in 1876,
which l have seen since wrote the
foregoing, l can speak of them no
less definitely and positively. No
one OF such telegrams, either in
cipher or translated, was ever
shown to me, or its contents made
known TO me. No offer or nego A.
ton in behalf of the State CAM
sers of South Carolina, or of any
them, or any dealing with any OF |,
them in respect to the certificates
to the electors, was ever authoriz
ed or sanctioned in any manner by |
me directly or through any other
person.
1 will add that no offsr
to give the certificates of
any Returning Board or State
CaDvassers Of apy State tn the
Democratic electors, in considera-
ton of promises of Office or money
or property; no negotiation or that
nature in behalf of any member of
such Board or with any such MEM
ber; no attempt to influence the
action of any elector of President
and Vice President by such mo
tives was ever entertained, consid-
cred, or tolerated by me or by any,
body within my influence, by my
consent, or with my knowledge or
acquiescence. No such contempla-
ted transaction could at any time
have come within the range of my
power, without that power being
instantly exerted to crush it out.
A belief was doubtless current
that certificates from the State OF
Florida, conforming to the actual
vote Of the people, were in the mar
ket. 81 have not the slightest
doubt In the world" said Mr.. Salt
tonstall, vino was in Florida at the
time, in recent Interview with
the Herald, that hat(Florida)vote
could have been bought, if Mr.. Til
den had been dishonorable enough
to desire it done, for great deal
less than $50 900 or S20,001" 1t
was known that either one of the
two members who composed ma
ljority OF the Florida State Convas-
sers could control It's action and
give the certificates to the Demo-
crate. Either one OF them could
settle the Presidential controversy
in favor OF the Democratic candl-
dates, who lacked bat one vote.
How accessible to venal induce
ments they were, as shown by the
, testimony of McLin, the Chairman
, of the Board of State Canvassers,
in his examination before the Pot
ter Com mittee in June last. He
admitted that the true vote of the
J people of Florida was in favor OF
the Democratic electors, and that
the fact even appeared Oh the face
OF the county returns, including
among them the true 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 the certificates to the Repub.
. iican electors, he acted under the
r influence of promises that he shou Id
!, ba rewarded in case "Mr. Hayes
! became President;n adding that
certainly these promises must
! have had a strong control over my
Judgment end action"
After the Certificates of the Lou
islana 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 rejected by
a large majority of the voters; and
D the members of this Returning
; Board now possess the most i'm
= portant Federal offices in that
State.
The pregnant fact always re-
mains that none of these corrupt
, boards gave their certificates 20 the
. Democratic electors; but they all
did give them to tie Republican
: electors.
I had a perfectly fixed purpose,
; from which l never deviated In
word or act--a purpose which was
known to or assumed by all with
whom I was In habitual communl.
: cation. II the Presidency of the
I United States was to be disposed OF
by certificates to be won from cor
rupt Returning Boards, by any
form of venal Inducements, whether
of offices or money, L was resolved
, to take no part in the shameful
competition, and l took none.
The main interest of the victory
which resulted in my election was
, the expectation that through the
Chief Magistracy system of re.
forms similar to that which had
been accomplished in our metropo-
: lis, and in our State administra-
tion, would be achieved in the Fed
, eral Government. For this object
1T was necessary that l should be
untrammelled by any commit
D ment in the choice of men to exc
! cute the official trusts of the gov
ernment, and untram meied by any
obligations 10 special interests. 1
had been nominated, aud | was
, elected without one limitation OF
, my perfect independence. TO have
surrendered or compromised the ad-
vaDtages of this position by de-
grading competition for Returning
, Board certificates would have been
to abandon all that made victory
desirable; everything which could
have sustained me ia the larger
3 struggle that victory would have
q iupuscu upOu ilr. L WIS TSSOlNeu
to go into the Presidential chair in
full command of ali my resources
for usefulness, or not ut all.
While thus abststning from al
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for such
certificates, 1 saw these certificates
obtained for the Republican elect
Ors who had not been chosen by
the people aud denied to the Dem
ocratic electors who had been
chosen by the people. These false
and fraudulent certificates, now
, confessed aud proved to have been
obtained by corrupt inducements,
, were afterward made the pretext
for taking from the people their
rIghtful choice for the Preldency