The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-03-20
THE LOST CIPHER DISPATCHES,

The majority report upon the cipher
dispatches expressed the opinion that
the Republicans, as we'll as the Demo
Gratis, probably had compromising des
patches in the trunk surrendered to the
Senate Committee by the late Mr. 0rton.
For this conclusion the Tribune has at
tackled Mr.. Potter personally. 1t is the
conclusion at which every man of sense
and candor who had considered the mat
ter at al arrived long before the Potter
Committee made its report.
We know that Mr. Ortou, a Jealous
and conspicuous Republican, had the de-
spatches delivered to Senator Morton's
Committee, instead of to the Democratic
Committee of the House. The control of
the papers was thus put into Republican
hands at the outset.
We know that after dipping into, the
contents of the trunk, prominent repre-
sentatives of both parties agreed that it
would be better all around not to publish
dispatches or bank accounts. To sup.
pose that the Republican leaders entered
into such an arrangement with the con-
seriousness that they had nothing to fear
from exposure, and that only their oppo-
nents could be damaged, would be to
give them credit for magnanimity of a
quality and size hitherto unknown in
practical politics.
We know that Senator Morton and his
had undisturbed possession
of the dispatches for seven weeks. 1t has
been proven that they let Brady with
draw his cipher messages-Brady, little
fish whose reputation was of slight con.
sequence in comparison with come ofthe
regulations that were wrapped up in that
bundle.
We know that at least one. quarter of
all the dispatches handed over by the
telegraph company could have been ab.
and destroyed without fear of
discovery.
We know that Bullock, d messenger of
the Morton Committee, who stole the |
Democratic Ciphers that have been pub
lished, was rewarded for the theft with
the appointment of Consul at Cologne.
Bullock understood the risk he ran, for |
be wrote TO Congressman Evans that he |
would be turned out of Office and ruined |
we're it known that he took them. 1t |
he undervalued the dishonesty |
Of the Hayes Administration. His crime
has been discovered, but he remains in
his Office, at a comfortable distance from
grand juries and deputy sheriffs.
We know that of the 80, 900 dispatches
originally surrenderd by Mr.0rton nearly
10 900 were addressed to Indianapolis, the
home of Senator Morton. Not one of
.hese is found in the lot now produced.
The only Republican Ciphers remaining
n thatlot are few harmless, disconnect
ID dispatches, parts of no continuous
story, apparently left there as deCoys.
With them are a few Florida dispatches
n substituted words. These cannot be
;rsnslated, because there are 80 few of
hem left to work upon.
Is anybody 30 stupid as to believe that
he subOrdinates of Morton's Committee
Who had the great mass of dispatches in
heir hands for nearly two months, guar.
I6u lnelT CudTB6 WlGn bITICJ ana DOnOr-
BILE fidelity that was relaxed only in a
ingle instance, where Thomas ] Brady
7as ConCerned2 Does anybody believe
hat after giving Brady the chance to
his dispatches, they relapsed
lto virture and denied all other Repub.
cans the same facilities for suppressing
dangerous record; or that Bullock, who
tole nearly 700 Democratic dispatches
n his own account, to trade upon in the
iture. was too honest a man to lay a fin
er upon a piece of paper that might
lCriminste the leaders of his own par.
=?
The lost Republican cipher dispatches
e not needed to prove that the Presi-
sncy was stolen, offered for sale, and
,ught for HAYES by his agents at the
,nth. But if we had the 1896 des atch-
sent to Indianapolis, for example, our
lowledge Of many details of the great
nspiracy might be clearer than it is.-
Y. Sun.
IIInII