New-York tribune., 1879-01-16
P4ChLNG LIE JiRT.

On the first day of the session Of Congress
in December, 1876. Mr.. Hcwtt introduced Il
resolution for the appointment OF committees
to visit Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana,
and investigate the circumstances connected
with the counting Of the electoral votes in
those States. The resolution was adopted,
and Sneaker Randall named, as the Florida
Committee, essrs. Thompson (Mass.), De
Bolt Mo), and Hopkins Pcnn), Democrats,
and Messrs. Garfield and Dumell, Reyubii-
cans. This was apparently regular and fair,
but there was something behind this rCsClu-
tion, and in order to throw upon 1t the keen
bright sunlight Of publicity We must go back
few days.
The Gramercy Park Bureau, as the world
now knows, sent q great many agents TO
Florida during the month Of November, giving
them at least thlee distinct codes of CIPHER
and several distinct sets Of confidential in
e;luctions, III consequence Of which they got
n one anOthcr'e way, intcIiCrcd with one an
others operations, and bUTdened the wires
with complaints and determinations. The latest
Of these agents to be dispatched from New
York was Nh L. l.. Paris. He arrived at
Tallahassee about the 20,b Of November, and
his sudden appearance precipltatcd upon Col
osel Pelt0n an avalanche Of inquiiing teie
21gms. "WhO IS Parlis o. asked Moses.
Cannot consent to intimate relations with
strange Parisian3," remarked Fox. "Who
81. Paris that presents himself here without
" crcdentialse p demanded Perry Smith. Max,
too. seems to have been disturbed. And al
though Colonel Pclton replied to these qucs-
tions. Paris is one of rs" and "impllct
reliance should be accorded him. NJ. Mar
bic, al all events, WAS not satisfied, for he
represented in dispatch about a week later
that Paris and detectives were "always
"usrlcs>," and W0oliey ga nuisance and i'm
"pediment" adding that Smith concuIrcd
"lm all aforesaid" Mr.. Paris. however, had
duties to perform Of which Mr. Marble per-
haps knew nothing. Paris seems TO have
pcen thc only one of the party in Florida
who tad the Dictionary Cipher" and IN
that oodc he received the following remalka-
blc dispatch from Newly ork, dated the day
of the assembling OF Congress:
NEw-YoEK, Dee. I.
l. L. PAUAls, Tallahassee:
foioda c,lsieuer irreycrsibe complete woe auditory
our gupcrnai archer yoa and ordina metre Daniel
has shanbie iuapprecisbe you st ana admOnIsh anti
pbon. P.
This Is translated by turning back one page
in WcbIcr's " Pocket Dictionary" There is
20 such word, of course, a. "Folioda," But
Polio" yields Flora" and out of that the
ingenious Colonel Pclton makes "Florada.r
The translation Of the dispatch is as follows:
lTwDsiauon.I
NEW YORK. Dcc4.
l.. L. PARIS. ToGahossss:
FLORIDA Congress Investigating Committee VIII al onr
suggestion appoint you secretary and Melbcr
Daulcl has sergeant. Important You stay and act
AusWrr. p.
THIS surprising message was sent the day
before the committee to which it refers was
in existence. The resolution of Mr.. Hewitt
WAS not passed until the night Of the 4th,
and the committee to visit Florida WAS not
named until the next day. Yet it was known
at Mr. Tilden's residence, in advance of the
adOption OF the resolution if not in advance
of the introduction, who the investigators
would be and what they would DO. 1t was
arranged beforehand that Mr.. Tildcn should
control the organization of the court created
to investigate the conduct Of his own agents !;
that he should pack the jury summoned
TO Try his own cause. a favorable
decision was to be insured before the
Democratic contestant Tiskcd an inquiry
Under ordinary circumstances the clerk Of u
committee such as this would not only be the
rjghthand man and confidential adviser OF
the majority judges, but he would have the
dnty-or priyilege-Of drawing up the report
What could be more Rrotcsque than secret
bargain TO put in this important place one Of