The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-02-13

him goodbye. On my way met Randolph
Blair and Fox, and of course canvassed the
matter with them. Think got the cipher
from Pelton, at the Everett House, and used
it subsequently neither sent to nor
received from Tilden any kilograms
addressed my dispatches to Pelton. My
object in going to Florida was to take care
of Electoral votes, and let me here suggest
that the cipher dispatches as published
in the Tribune, so far as l am concerned, are
simply rubbish. The witness testified that
he had bought no Florida votes, though
they were for sale. He said that so far as
pecuniary arrangements were concerned
he had nothing to do with them except in
this way; he transmitted by wire al
propositions made to him, but as to their
eonsummation he had nothing to do.
On being asked, "Were you not aware
that Woelley was authorized to buy out
the Returning Board? ?" Mr.. Marble re-
piled: - was not aware of anything OF the
kind. Witness met Governor Tilden long
after the decision of the Returning Board.
He denounced the whole proceeding, and
-saidithat under no circumstances would he
have countenanced any such arrangement.
My friendly relations with Governor Tilden
have not been changed, for, as, have
already told you, he knew that / had
nothing to do with these propositions, and
merely included them in my cipher mes
sages to acc immediate the parties who made
them"
At the evening session Mr.. Marble testified
that he saw Governor Tilden Immediately
on his arrival from, Florida, but did not at
that time mention to him any thing about
the buying and selling Florida business, and
took pains to conceal from him the whole
fo ntS oh lrtaa In
would not approve of it. Pelton gave me
the cipher. know nothing of its, origin.
Witness further testified that the impres:
sion that Mr.. Tilden managed the whole
campaign was great error. Had no con.
versation with .Pelton upon the return from
Florida as to, his proposition telling me
" to close at once" He must be mistak en-
IN saying we had conversation on the sub
ject. l supposed the whole matter came
from Elm alone, and that the Democratic
Committee and Mr.. Tilden knew nothing
of it. .-.+. s-.s. E-s.:!-F-: 81 --...-.
At meeting of the committee investi-
eating the cipher dispatches, Samuel j.
Tilden, Immediately upon entering the
room, was sworn by Mr.. Hunton, Chairman,
who said: ''2N'' D.
"Governor Tilden, we received your note
expressing your willingness, to testify"
Mr.. Tilden-I have a cold, and cannot
speak very loud the publication and trans
actions in New York papers / have read
/ did not recognize "a single dispatch, either
in cipher or Translation, which I had ever
seen before; / never entered into any ar
rangements to purchase the vote of South
Carolina or Florida; had NO information,
no suspicion, that any such communica-
tions were being carried on until / saw the
dispatches published in the New Y ork
Tribune; I had no knowledge, no dealings
with the parties to these negotiations; l
never authorized any such negotiations in
any form whatever. On the morning of No
vember 20, 1876, Mrs. Colonel Pelton men,
ton led in my presence that her husband had
gone for the day. 1 didn't know he had
gone, or was going out of the city. He went
to Philadelphia, believe. Later in the day
I was called on by Mr.. Cooper, who was on
his way down town, and was told by him
that he had received an offer from some party
offering to OBJ ain for money the vote of South
Carolina. said | would authorize no such
| transaction, nor spend money for any such
| purpose. The whole conversation occupied
only few minutes. obtained ColonePs
| Pelton's address in Baltimore, and tele
graphed him to come home. / knew nothing
Of the ciphers that had been passing
between him and others, and could moi
have translated them.
! With regard to Florida, never saw on,
of the kilograms, either in cipher or transla
!. ton. l did not know, and l was no
| informed, that negotiations were going OF
in regard to illegally obtaining certificates
of the Returning Board. Some time afte
| Mr.. Marble called and told me in a casua
kind of way about the corruption Of thu
| Returning Board of Florida, l never saw
any of these, dispatches relating to Florida
either in cipher or translation.
In regard to the Oregon dispatches, / dit
1 not know they came in cipher until afte
the meeting of the committee to Investigate
them. Some of the dispatches were ad
dressed to my residence, 15 Gramercy Park
don't know that any of these dispatche
were ever delivered there. Colonel Pei
| toms habits of mind and mine are yer,
different sg !se..gr- III s.--.z a
/ A day Or two after the election Genera
Grant wrote a letter recommending tha
committees go South to see a fair count.
had nothing to do with the selection o
these committees. | never heard fro1
them but once, and that was communi
. cation signed by Ottendorfer and others.
was very busy at the time, and did not III
dertake to correct the idea that they wer
my personal agents, which ha
no foundation. They represente
the Democratic party. None of them, S
far as know, went to those States author
lied to do anything that gentlemen migt
J not do. From the 7th of November, 1S7,
until December 6, of the same year, uude
petition for seeking certificates by ven;
inducements. There never was an hou
: nor a minute that I entertained such
thought. To the people, who, as beIiev
r elected me President of the United States
to the four million citizens who wei
7 defrauded, / owed it to proclai
/, that would not yield one jot or little OF N
! right. Whatever evils may result fro
i this subversion of the Electoral ,syste
:, and of free government, resolved / wou
4 enter into no auction for the purchase
r the Chief Magistracy. [Cheers, which Il
: Chairman suppressed, Twas resolved tn
r I would continue to protest again
the wrong by which the people we
/, defrauded out of their rights. [Mr. Tilder
/. voice owing to his cold, became husky, al
t. it required an effort to catch all his word
it Mr.. Tilden underwent close eros
n questioning by Messrs. Reed and Hiscocl
u After the examination of Mr.. Tilden, N
e E. L. Paris took the stand, but the on
If point of interest developed was that |
4 kilograms, although addressed to Mr.. I
le den, we've intended for the National Co
,r mittee. Mr.. .Tilden may have opened the
Q. but the purpose was that they should
Of once be submitted to the Committee.