The Portland daily press., 1878-10-10
THE GREAT FRAUD.
How Tilden Tried to Buy the
Presidency.
Hewitt Says the CIPHER kilograms
Will Ruin Those who
Sent Them.

NEW YORK, Oct. 9-In an interview with
Abram 5 Hewitt relative to the CIPHER des-
patches lately printed, he said that he never
knew anything about these dispatches. If the
tribune has the genuine dispatches, and has
translated them properly, it will be the politi-
cal ruin OF those persons who were cognlzant
OF them, or who intended to perpetuate fraud
by them. He does not know that they are gen.
uine, never having seen one of them before
their publication in the Tribnne He says that
prominent Republicans in Washington told
hlm during the electoral count that the Repub-
llcans had Democratic cipher dispatches which
II the Democrats undertook to question the val
ity OF Hayes's election, would be made public
and would have the effect of at least keeping
Iilden out of the office. Mr.. Hewitt stated
that hint of such dispatches came to him
from another source about the end of Decem-
Der or the beginning of January, when VIM.
Orton, then President Of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, was charged with COZ
tempt for refusing to produce dispatches re-
latng to the canvas of the vote in the Southern
states. Mr.. Hewitt says:
lie came to my house and dined with me,
The OBJECT OF his visit was to persuade me that
1t would be wise for the Democrats not to COM
pei him to deliver up the dispatches, and he as
sured me that they would lead to the revelation
OF acts unknown to myself and other Democrats
which would be very damaging to the Demo-
cratic party. told him that had no kpow-
edge of such dispatches and was SURPRISED tn
find him SO solicitous of the welfare of the
democratic party. In fact 1 rather thought
MS purpose was to keep from Jus dispatches
proving Republican iniquity
What wonld you say" he answered, "If I
should show you one of those dispatches tn At T
have in my pocket-book?'
told him that did not want to see the des-
patch, and that should say he was VIOLATING
his trust in showing it or I'M having it in his
possession. - --
had been president of the Western ITnion
before him and
patch except when the mere transaction of bns.
mess made it necessary
We'll, will read you this despatch" he said
producing the cipher and translation. s.and II
you 40 not say that j! came properly by it L will
| go with you before the directors of the Western
U MON and you may move for nv dismissal. .
Inc despatch he read to me had reference to
negotlationS Tor the Democratic purchase of an
electoral vote in South Carolina. I infer that
the Tribune is going to publish dispatches on
that subJecf, and II this particular one IS amopg
them shall recognize it. After reading the
despatch, Mr.. Orion explained how it came
| into his possession. One evening" shortly after
midnight, prominent Democratic politician
| received cipher despatch from South Carolina
at the telegraph office in Fifth Avenue hotel.
He sat down at one of the tables, pulled out
his key and made translation of the cpheE.
| A few minutes after midnight, as the office was
being closed, be hastily gathered up a few pa-
pers on the table and went out. His transla-
ood VI LILO OiPuCI Adppou6u W QEOD on the HOOr.
| The operator picked it up, read it, and immedi-
| ately started TOR Orton's house with the cipher
| despatch and translation, and rang I'M Mr.. Or.
ton, who took the papers and told the operator
| TO go home and never open his lips to single
| being in reference to the incident. He said that
my eyes were the first to see the dispatch after
| it came into his possession.
Reporter-Did you speak to Mr. Tiden or
ony OF your associates of what you had seen
and heard?
Hewitt-No. 1t was too late then. The
| work had been done, if at ALL There was ,t
| sufficisnt evidence of the correctness of the
correctness of the despatch to warrant nv car
| ryng the matter further at that date. II mt
me on my guard, however. 1 did not know but
cer.ain INDIVIDUALS mad been acting improperly
Mr.. Hewett does not believe that Tilden was
cognZant OF the cipher dispatches, He be-.
lieves that Tilden will deny any knowledge of
such transaction, tand says that it would be
the political ruin oil any man to be proven the
author of such dispatches. Mr. Hewett states
that all his own dispatches in cipher related
only to the legitimate business of the cam.
paign. He further says;
IF these dispatches are genuine, they were
studiously concealed from me. never of any
attempt to purchase electoral votes and when
it was suggested to me that votes could be-
bought in the Louisiana electoral college. /
promptly declined to hold any negotiations
whatever on the subject At the time the des-
patcnes were called Tor in the House, stated
publicly that had never sent or received des-
patch which. i was not willing to have m sde
public
Reporter-Do you think you were fairly
treated, as chairman of the national commit.
tee?
Hewitt conducted tbs work of the commit
Tee IN stra. ghtforward manner up to the day
OF election. There was party of gentlemen.
personal friends CT TIlden, who constituted
themselves private committee and worked in
dependently. Tllden has the reputation of
peing man who exerts bis influence invisibly
and by directions, and accomp lshes things by
indirect methods. never saw anything in him
to Indicate that he possessed such Machiavel-
Ian mind. He certainly did not manage the
campaign through the natloual committee. II
was left entirely to me-in fact it was my great
difficulty to get him definitely to recommend or
endorse plan of action or even advise il. /
was at the committee rooms during the time
that the most of these dispatches were sent and
nroha I'd Tiide ? cnnd have been deceived
prooaoIy, as easily as myself only it happens
that the point of Communication in Nav VIE
seems to have been Gramercy Park instead of
tne national Committee rooms. From NV ar
Inaintence with Tllden Idon't think hina cara
fST an s ee So ye e, Which could
ana shs matsr Of The
dispatches, those sent by the Republicans which
were damaging to them were DESTROYED, and
that OILY those already known to us were
gwen 10 the CONGRESSIONAL committee. We
had man who intercepted many of their dis
patches.
My association with Mr.. Til len, as it existed |
10 the last campaign, has been broken off and |
will never be renewed 1 visited him once !
during the Watterson controversy, but haye |
not visited him since. He has rot treated ma |
He has not treated me Justly.
word from him would have refuted the
charge against me Of having suppressed dis !
patches from him.
MIR. Hewitt says he would be weak indeed if
be had not been able to answer Wattersoa. He
has written reply to Marble which will soon
be printed, but the latter, however, will not be-
needed if lhs published dispatches prove an