The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-02-13
THE CIPHERS.
Tilden Talks and Makes q Clear
Calm and Consistent STATEN

Tilden Talks and Makes q Clear,
Calm and Consistsapt 81 statement
Samuel j. Tilden was before the
Committee investigating the cipher
dispatches in New York, on Saturday
and was sworn by Mr., Hunter, Chair
man, who said: Governor Tilden,
we received your note expressing
your willingness TO testify:
Mr.. Tilden: l have a cold and can't
speak very loud; the publication and
translations in the New York papers
[ have read did not recognize sim
gle dispatch, either in cipher or trans-
lation, which l had ever seen before
to purchase the vote of South Caro-
lima or Florida; had no information,
no suspicious that any such trans
actions were being carried on
until I saw the dispatches published
in the New York Tribune; had no
knowledge, no dealings with any par
ties to these negotiations. never au-
thoriZed any such negotiations in any
form whatever. On the morning of
November Goth, 1876, Mrs. Colonel
Pelton mentioned in my presence that
her husband had gone or was going
out of the city. He went to Philadel-
phia believe. Later in the day was
called on by Mr.. Cooper, who was on
his way down town, and was told by
him that he had received an offer from
some party offering to obtain for mon-
ey the vote of South Carolina. said
I would authorize no such transaction
nor spend money for any such pur
pose. The whole conversation Occu .
pied only few minutes. obtained
Colonel Pelton's address in Baltimore
and telagraphed him to come home,
knew nothing of the cipher dispatches
that had been passing between him
and others, and could not have trans .
lated them. With regard to Florida.
l never saw one of the kilograms eth
er in cipher or translation; l did not
know, l was not informed, that nego-
tiations were going on in regard to il
legally obtaining certificates Of the
Returning Board; sometime Mr..
Marble called and told me in a casual
kind of way about the corruption Of
the Returning Board Of Florida; l
never saw any one of those dispatches
relating 10 Florida either in cipher Or
translation. In regard to the Oregon
dispatches, did not know they came
in cipher until after the meeting of the
Committee to investigate them. Some
of the dispatches were addressed to my
residence, No. 10 Gramercy Park. 1
do not know that any of these dis
patches were ever delivered there.
Colonel Pelton's habits of mind and
mine are very different. A day or
two after the election General Grant
wrote letter recommending the COM
mittees to 60 South to see a fair count.
l had nothing to do with the selection
of those committees. l never heard
from them but once, and that was a
signed by Ottendoffer
and others. l was very busy all the
time and did not undertake to correct
the idea that they were my personal
agents. 1t has no foundation; they
the Democratic party.
None of them so far as l know, went
to those States authorized to do any
thing that gentlemen might not dc,
From Nov. 7, 1876, until December &,
the same year, under no circumstance
did l enter into any competition for
seeking certificates by yenal induce
ments. There never was an hour or
minute that l entertained such q
thought. To the people who, as be-
lieve, elected me President of the
United States; to the four millions of
citizens who were defrauded, owe it |
TO proclaim that would not yield one |
iot or title OF my right whatever evils |
may result from this subversiOn of the |
electoral system and of free govern
ment. I resolved that ] would enter
ntO no auction for the purchase Of the
Chief Magistracy. TCheers, which
he chairman suppressed.] l was re-
,olved that 1 would continue to pro.
;est against wrong by which the