Daily globe., 1879-02-09

Tlden, immediately upon entering the room, wa
sworn by Mr.. Hunton, chairman, who said: Gov
Ilden, we read your note expressing your willing
ness to testify"
Mr.. Tildeu-"I have cold and can't speak very
loud. The publication and trans!ations III the New
Y York papers have read. did not recognize sin
gle dispatch, ether in cipher or translation, which
had seen before. 1 never entered into any ar
rangemcnts to purchase the vote of South Carolina
or Florida. l had no information, suspicion
that any such communications were being carried
until the dispatches published in the New
York 1rtbant. had no Knowledge, no
dealing with any parties to these NEGOTIATIONS
authorized any such negotia-
tions III any form Whatever. On the morning of No.
vember 20th, 1876, Mrs. Col Pelton mentioned in
my presence that her husband had gone for the day.
did not know he had gone going out of the
city. He went to Philadelphia, 1 believe. Later in
the day was called On by Mr.. Cooper, who was on
the way down town, and was told by him he had re-
ceiyed offer from some party Offering to obtain
for money the Of South Carolina. I said 1
would authorize no such transaction, nor spend
money for any SUcn purpose. The whole cOnversa-
ton occupied few minutes. obtained Col. Peltons
address in Baltimore, and teegraphed him to come
home. know nothing OF the ciphers that had been
passing between hlln and Others and 1 con!d
not have translated them. With regard to
Florida, I never saw Que Of the kilograms,
either i'll cipher translation. I did not know-I
was not informed that negotiations were gouy on in
regard to illegally obtaining certificates of the return
ing board. one time NIr. Marble called and told me
in casual kind of way about the corruption OF the
returning board of Florida. 1 never saw any of
those dispatches relating TO Florida, either in cipher
translation. In regard to the Oregon dispatches
I did not know they in cipher until after the
meeting OF the committee to Investigate them. Some
Of the dispatches addressed to my residence Is
Grarnercy park. 1 do not know that any Of these
dispatches were ever delivered there. Col. Peltons
habits of mind aud mine very different. A
day or two after the election, Gen. Grant
wrote letter recommending that commit
"a foSr
had nothing to do with the selection
of this committee, and never heard from them but
once and that was Il communication, signed by OF
tendorfer and others. was very busy all the time,
and did not undertake to correct the idea that thew
were my personal agents, which has foundation.
They represented the Democratic party. None of
them, far know, went TO those States author
lied to do anything that gentlemen might not do.
From the ls of November, 1876, until December 9th
the same year, under no circumstances did I enter
into any competition for seeking the certificates by
venal Inducements. There nevec an hour nor
minute that entertained such thought To the peo-
pie, who, as l believe elected me President of the
United States; to the 40ooO00 citizens who were de-
feated, owed it to proclaim would not yield one
jot title OF my right Whatever evils may result
from this subverSion of the electoral SYSTEM and of
free government, resolved 1 would enter into no
auction for purchase Of the chief magistracy
Cheers, which the chairman suppressed.) was re-
solved that would continue to protest against the
wrong by which the peops were defrauded out of
their rights.
Air. Tilden's voice. owing to cold, became husky
and it required effort catch all his words
Tilden being asked, "Who is your private secre-
sary?" answered, George W. Smith,"
Q. Mr.. Tlden, lind in cipher No 40 this DIS
patCh-thiS translation:
Tallahassee, Nov. % Geo. W. Smith, Is Gran,er-
sy Park: 1t has been suggested from here to the
Governor OF Oregon to relralu from issuing GER
t1cate in favor of the ineligible elecor until advised
thereon. Why not obtain and telegraph him o. Con-
nor's opinion? See my dispatch to Spain.
9. Have you any knowledge Of it? A. have
not.
Q. Look over the translation; have you any recol
lection of having receivedit2 A. have not
Q. Have you read tho Tribune cipher d 'sclos-
ures? A. did not at the time they came out.
Q. Did Smith, your private secretary, show you
any OF these dispatches? A. He did not.
Q. He must nave had the cipher. Do you know
if he did? a. do not.
Q. What do you know of the ciphers? A. I
know nothing about them.
Q. When Col. Pelton returned from Baltimore,
what was the nature OF your interview with him :.
A. 1 said hing to him about his action and he
made reply. I did not get from him any infor-
matt on about the cphers or negotiations until saw
them published. I did not believe that Peiton had
any power, because he had no authorization.
Z. What was your conversation with Edward
Cooper? a. He came to Inc and said he had re-
ceived proposition to get the votes Of South Caro-
lima for money. The substance of the conversation
was that the votes were for sale.
q. Did he mention Col. Pelton's name at that
lime? A. He did not.
Q. When did you next hear of cor111pt attempt
any State? A. I never heard.
.. Do you mean to say you never heard Of any at
tempt to brbe: A. NvS ill the publication of ths
fact.
@. When did you first hear of the Florida brib-
e:y7 A. From Marble. He simply mentioned the
circumstance after he had returned from Florida.
he gave Ine no details, aud made no inquiries.
Q. Did you make any inquiries from your nephew
sbou! these corrupt propositions to buy and sell? A.
did not.
Q. Then you took interest in it? A. Only in
terest in stopping it.
In reply to question, Tilden said Col. Peton
ceased about the h;st Ut January to reside at his
house.
sc. Did you make any request to Pelton to cease
being secretary OF wir? A. I did not. l mani
Tested my dispeasre, but did not ask him to resign
his position.
@. Did you keep up confidential relations with
Smith Weed? a. Not i'll regard to these transac-
tions. knew nothing of Weeds presence in South
Carolina.
@. Did you hear from him of this proposlton to
buy votes? A. did not. I had not the most Kind
ly feeling towards Weed.
Mr.. Tlden continuing, said he had confidential re-
latlons with Marble. Before going to Florida he
called to bid him good-b bye. There was nothing in
their conversation at the meeting bearing on this
question. It was little more than formal leave
taxing. Iudeu reasserted that in his interview with
Cooper no idea Of accepting the proposition to Dur
chase votes was debated between them or thorpht
Of for a moment. AS for Peon, he was the last man
ii the world that he (,rden) would have seected if
he had intended to enter into such transactions as
purchasag electoral votes Asked why in his card to
the public he did not rcfec to the Baltimore transac-
pertinent.
Q. Do you not see that your statement that you
had no knowledge of the citations except through
the Ifa6uHe is likely to deceive, because you had
heard Of the Baltimore negotiations? MI Ti11en
answered that he did not know of the cinber tala
grams which had passed Oh the subject nor of anv
negotiations, but did know there had been an otfar
IN south Carolina which he had put end to by his
intervention. made my statement in accordance
with the truth.
Q. Did you intend to convey the idea that Won had
no knowledge OF this offer? A. did not intend to
convey any idea on the subject. had been advised
by hundred people to do one thing and another
and did not think it necessary refer to the fact o
the Baltimore transactions.
Reed conducted this portion of the examination
and occasionally requested Mr.. Tiden to he franz
but failed to get admission that witness remem
bered any conversation at the Third National bank
with Smith Weed prior to the latter'5 denarture fo,
North or South Carolina.
MIR. Hiscock then continued the examination O,
Mr.. Tilden. VI
Q.-When dispatch was received in New Yorl
saying: You are lnlperilling the result here" ad
visng that some man should be found who could bt
trusted Tor week, did you see that dispatch? Al
did.
Odd you not know the Information ba5
reached here III dispatch to Gramercy Park that yo1
had one majority in Florida. AL heard had one ma
Jorlty IN Florida, but did not see the dispatch re
ferred to as conveying that and other information
Did not see the dispatch to Geo. w. Smith savina
"EJee my dispatch TO SPAIN"
@. Governor, you learned from Cooper, and couli
nave learned from Pelron, your nephew, who hat
been engaged III transaction connected with tn,
obtaining OF electoral votes in North or South Caro-
lima; did you not feel called upon to find out Col
Pelton's relations to the national committee? A.
thought the best to act in the matter was to sto,
it. thought something of the Florida case.
Q. You have said that if you had had any idea q
influencing these boards yenally, the last person yo1
would have chosen would have been Col. PeIt0n
Why did you not deem it proper to call Mr. Cooper
or Mr. Hewtts attention to the matter and ask then
to take charge of the matter, lest Pelton nigh
compromise the Democratic general committee? A
Il howl f,,111-
''lo would be able to take that nothing Hron.