The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-10-10

i; then, nj the time. Immediately on his
return from Baltimore. What. then.
becomes OF Mr. TiIden's Indignation at
: the moral. or immoral. audacity = OF u
man who has only asserted (whaf Mr..
Tilden himself confcsses IN his tcsii-
inony ~ viz. that he was informed M the
time. for Edward Cooper told him i'm
mediatcly the message which Pclton had
sent from Baltimore in ..ciphcr die
patch that he knew about PcIton's
having attempted. or al least contem-
plated bribery many months before the
time May, 1877 that he introduced him
20 me as man worthy Of my fullest
trust and confidence
The low tone Of Mr.. Tilden's ideas OF
right and wrong-the deadncss of his
moral scnse--is shown IN the light way
in which he speaks of Pclton's connec-
tion with this wrctched business. IIc
thinks have done his nephew injustice.
l quote his words
\ Mr. Field. pretending TO think that
I poor Pelton', as he calls him. has been
\ aharshly and unjustly dealt with by the
public in the next breath saws that he
had attempted bribery and has been
guilty OF crime This i ma exaggerated
untruth- Colonel Pelton neither initi-
ated nor consummalcd anything. He
merely listened 70 offers from officers to
do what they admitted and he believed
they violated that duty under corrupt
inducements Ills wrong did not 20 be-
yond futile dalliance.r
This Is very neat way of putting II.
:. Dalliance' j. good word 10 !" daily
Is to play with temptation, and a man
who dallics with crime comes danger
ously near 10 committing it. The crime
in this case was one Of the worst and
wickcdest that could be committed by
man. Especially in a free government
like ours bribery is q crime against the
very life Of the state II strikes dagger
at our republican institutions. What are
popular elections worth il the verdict Of
the people eau be set aside by the bril-
berry Of an otiiciaIto make false return I?
On this subject no one in this country
has been so eloquent as Mr. Tildcn. No
one has rung the changes so long and
loud on the monstrous " fraud which
was committed, when by bribery, as he
|. asserts. he was counted out Of the prcs-
!dency. He has declared il to be "thc
I greatest crime In history -acrime which
the American people would never,
never. never" forgive.
!, And vet at the very moment that this
wrong has been done, there, under his
lown blood. his nephew and most inti-
: innate and confidential agent. was
lplotting this very crime. Ifhe did not
I carry il out he at least showed no um-
Willingness to do the deed. The only
delay seemed 10 be in "dallying about
/ lfhe price. Whether that lessons the
criminaity I leave Mr.. Tildcn to say.
/, am not disposed TO measure degrees OF
! guilt between him Who succeeds IN con
. spiracy and him who falls III Pelion's
.daliancc was futile II was only
because at the critical moment his cour-
, lace failed him. or because the nygardly
Esprit OF somebody else tempted. per-
, haps, by the prospect Of another and a
cheApcr bargain in The far northwest.) ,
! refused him tie money 70 complete the
lcrine. On the cnormity involved in
HUI This secret plotting. this sending ~
cipher dispatches. i.h agents passing 10
], and fro promising large sums of money.
, leave Mr.. Tilien'- collntrymcn 20 pro-
lnonncc. only saying that no one can DO
, surprised that man should have small
-cruples III betraying his 4 friend who
can speak - lightly NJ ~ me against
his country. CYEu~ W. FIELD.