New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-08
THE Sc4pEG0IrS TESTIMONY.


lous forgctlulness.
THE SCAPLGOITS TESTIMONY.
Colonel Pclton's examination Thursday dis
closes fully the line Of defence which, after
four months of. anxiety and labor, the Demo
cratic managers have decided upon as the best
possible for the interests II their party. The
cIpber dispatches were sent; that Is confessed.
1t Is confessed that Tn TRIErNEs trans alton
is correct in every considerable particular
That Weed and Marble forwarded corrupt
propositions to Colonel Pel,on, as Nj. Iildcn's
nephew, at Mr. TIldcn', house, aud received
from Colonel Pelton replies which were under
stood as giving approyaand acceptance, VIII no
longer be denied by anybody. Weed does
not deny; Pclton does not DENY; and what
thew have not the taCC to dispute. 1t Is not
worth while for any other man to question.
The proposals to buy electoral votes, i'll form
az stated by THE TRIBUNE, were actually
sent, then, to the person who Was 10y all
the parties recognized rs specially act
ing in confidential capacity for Mr..
Tiden himself IN this matter. BY that per-
son replies authorizing the infamous barter,
and agreeing to furnish the large sums of
IA stated by The TRIBUNE. What is the
defence7 That Mr.. Tilden did not know
what bis nephew and confidential secretary
was doing. That he saw none OF the cipher
dispatches; had no idea OF the tortUrInG
anxiety Of lis most trusted and confidential
agents: never asked what his trusted friends
at the South were doing; and did not even
know when his nephew and confidential
secretary went from his house and his dinner
table to Baltimore
There will be no lack of cathS to sustain
this defence. Mr.. Weed swears and Mr.
pelton. that, as far rs they know, Mr.
TIlden was ignorant and innocent; and
Mr.. Tildcn himself will swear a. he has
publicly declared, that he knew nothing of the
cipher dispatches, or the infamous proposals
therein conveyed. until he saw them ia TIE
TRIBUNE Mr. Pelton is TO be sent INFO the
wilderness as a scapegOat. laden with all the
Ins of the cOpaTceucrs and the party. And thcn
the good people of the country will be- asked
to put faith in the party and the candidate.
because the sclpegOat Pelton was not i'll form
an officer of the Democratic Committee. and
because the candidate knew nothing of what
was done in his own house by his own most
intimate associate and relative.
II must he said of this defence that it i
the obvious one which q person IN Nr. Til
denis position would inevitably adopt, whether
if were true or false. From the first, it has
been certain that if Mr.. Tiden had been base
enough 10 countcnancc the buying of electoral
votes he would be base enough to swear that
he knew nothing about il. If Mr. Pelt0n and
Mr. Weed were base enough to make nta-
NOUS bargains, they were also dishonest
enough to tell falsehoods about them. The
word of the men here accused counts for ex-
actIy IA much IL the mot guilty of any
person arraigncd at the bar. The denial
however false, is q little thing compared with
the crime behind il. Hence this defence
must be Judged 10y the fact, Of the ease.
Mr.. Pelton cannot be a mere irresponsible
idiot and a keen and rusty agent of proved
fidelity aud skill. He might be either. hut
cannot he both. Now the great fact which
gives character to AL the dispatches in ciphrr
i, that Samuel j. Tlldcn, Smith VI. Weed
and Manton Marble k'c'r Gbs0i"icIg dpd
horougbiy ,~hqt Ildiim 7. Peiioa ro>. There
il no room for dispute about that. IN Mr.
Tilden's house. and at his table and in his
library. Weed and Marble had met Prlton Tor
wears, and thcv knew exactly what the uncle
thought of the nephew. If they knew that he
actually was an irresponsible fool, not trusted
by Nj. Tilden, why did thcy telegraph 10 bim
most dangcrou, secrets from the south Why
did they leave the fate OF "a Presidential
contest to- turn upon tais nincomp0op /!
Why did they send 10 hun for " full power"
and for orders to others, and for great sumS
Of money, and for the final decision IN mat
tiers which meant for all concerned either vie
tory and power on defeat and iniamJ : If
Mr. Tildou did not absolutely trust thi, per
soa, is il credible that thew did Does any
living man believe that they AIr. 1lldcn's
right-hmd agents in politics, were ignorant
of the real relations between nephew aud
umclef If not. the conclusion * inevitable
that they treated him rs Mr.. Tildcn's mouth
piece because he ras NJ. IIdcn's mOHtbpiecc.
1t is very convenient TO some people to
have q InOuthpiece who can mt any time be
dsowucd if necessary. Mr.. TIldcn's whole
record In railroad jobs and mining jobs and
incomc-tax cyasions and political manpula-