St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-02-14

/ air was full of rumors of corruption" as
Mr.. Tilden himself testifies, he did suf-
fer Pelton to conduct the confidential
communication between New York and
the Democratic agents at the South.
He knew that corrupt proposals must
reach such a man. A word from him
to Mr.. Hewitt, Mr.. Cooper, or Mr.. Pei
ton himself, would have stopped such
communication, and caused all proper
agents of the party at the South to be
warned to communicate only with MI
Hewitt. IF he had ever said, "Pelton
is indiscreet, and may make scandal,
or "Pelton is corrupt, and may buy OF
promise to buy" there would have been
an end. Mr.. Tilden admits, and the
world knows, that he did not speak
that word. Why not
III. Mr.. Tilden knew Weed, WOOley,
Coyle and Marble. He had seen under
the veneering, and knew Marble for the
Joseph Surface of the age. He had
been the chairman of the Democratic
State Committee in 1868, and necessa-
rily knew of Mr.. WOolley's part in the
impeachment of johnson. He had been
Governor, and necessarily knew the
procIivities of the most skilled lobbyist
at Albany. 1t was his duty to know
whether such men represented the
Democratic National Committee, at the
very points where corruption was most
probable.
III. 1t is absolutely impossible that
Samuel j. Tilden was ignorant of all
the cipher kilograms which came from
the South, unless he made an effort to
be ignorant. 1t was his habit and his
very nature to give extraordinary at
tention to the details of political con-
tests. If it is true that he did not get
constant reports from the men sent
South, it can only be because he sud-
denly made an extraordinary effort to
suppress natural anxiety and impatience
and to put behind him the habits of
lifetime, in order not to know who was
telegraphing, and to whom, and what
about. That Colonel Pelton had been
in charge of correspondence, not be-
cause he was trusted by the Committee
but because he was thought to repre-
sent Mr.. Tilden, was of necessity known
to Mr.. Tilden from the angry attacks
of Democratic papers upon the "Bureau
of Nincompoops." If Mr.. Tilden did
not find out what his nephew was doing
it was because he was determined not
to know.
w. Confronted with the fact that
Colonel Pelton had asked aid in crime
from Mr.. Cooper, it was not possible for
Mr.. Tilden to let the bargain 90 on
without making it his own, in the eyes
of Messrs. Cooper and Hewitt. But
when Pelton was recalled, why did Mr.
Tilden ask no questions? He swearS
sit was not necessary !" Yet Pelton re-
manned us before in charge of telegraph
ic correspondence of the Committee.
Mr.. Tilden, even then, did not stop that
nor try to stop it, moi make the slight
est effort to know what had been done,
or would be done during the weeks
that still remained. All this scandal
proves the falsity of the answer, sit was
not necessary to ask. Had he asked
at that time, November 81, and stopped
the telegraphing, or caused Nh. Hewitt
to see the kilograms, the second job in
South Carolina, and all the jobs in
Florida, Oregon and Louisiana, would
have been prevented. He did not ask
nor utter ii word to prevent them.
WhyP
V. At that time, about November 81,
it became known to Mr.. Tilden what
Smith Weed had been doing. He now
swearS that he ''took Weed to task for
taking part in such TRANSACTIONS after
Weeds return. But after that the see
ond job i'll South Carolina was arranged
by Weed himself, by telegram from
New York. After that, and as late as
December 4, the extraordinary legal
was sent to South Carolina
important Judgment on quo warranto |
be obtained Thursday. If order to de- |
liver paper appurtenance to Office be
Immediately commit for con-
tempt, or if the rightfuI electors at
tempt the exercise of authority by |
attach tor contempt. Prepare
beforehand and enforce Immediately |
would he appropriate. Would be hu-
name to imprison them separately dur
ing Wednesday. All probably depends |
on your State. Leave nothing undone."
Verify, "the voice is Jacobs voice, but |
the hands are the hands of Esau."
VI. Mr.. Tilden claims that it was
safe to let Pelton alone because he |
could get no money. But this is pal
pably untrue. Pelton did get money
to send to Oregon, and from bank In
which Mr.. Tilden was especially well |
known. There were hundreds of I'M
Democrats who have given
larger sums than Pelton needed, for
much smaller victories. If there were
no others, there was John Morrissey
and the Democratic gamblers who had
ut stake over 81 100000. Did Mr.. Til |
den reason, "Pelton will no longer dare
to go to Cooper, or to come to me :;
therefore other money, not by candidate
or committee, will he found, and shall
know nothing about it 2" Did he re-
fleet. ''Then | can prove that | de-
nounced and stopped one attempt ?"
If that was his reasoning, why did he
never inquire, interfere and stop Pei
tons charge of correspondence through |
his apparent representation of Mr.. Til
den himself.