The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-02-19
THE CIPHER INVESTIGATION.
SAMUEL u. TILDEN ON THE
STAND
COMING OUT OF THE FURNACE LIKE PURE
METAL.

COMING OUT OF THE FURNACE LIKE PURE
/ METAL.
| NEw YORK. Feb. Sat the meeting Of
| Tue committee investigating the cipher dis
| patches Samuel j. Tilden. itnmedi 4telv on
entering the room, was sworn by Mr.. Hun
| ton, chairman. v no said Gov. Tilden, we
/ received your note expressing your willing
uess to testify
| Mr.. Tiden: The publication and trausla-
| tons in the New York papers / have read
dld not recognize single dispatch either
Ia cipher or translation which | had ever
seen before. ! never entered into any ar
| engagements u purchase the vote of South
Carolina or Florida | had no information,
no suspiciCn that any such comm unications
were being carried on until / saw the dis
patches published in the New York Trib-
une. / had no knowledge, no dealings with
the parties 70 these negotiations. | never
authorized any such negotiations in any
form whatever. On the morning of No
vemoer 20, 1876, Mrs. Col. Potion mention
ed in my presence that her husband had
gone for the day. did not know he had
gone or was going out ofthe city. He went
10 Phlladel phia. | believe. Laterin the day
1 was called on by Mr.. Cooper, who was on
the way down town, and was told by him
that lie had received an Offer from some
party Offering 70 obtain, tor money. the
vote OF South Carolina. / said would au
thoTiZe no such transaction, nor spend
money FOR any such purpose. The whole
conversation occupied only lew minutes.
/ Obt aimed Col. PelrOn's address in Balt-
more ana teiegraphed him to come home.
/ knew nothing of ciphers that had been
passing between him and others, and
could not have translated them. With re-
gard to Florida. | never saw one of the tel
egrams, either in cipher or translation. /
did not know was not informed-tha at
negotiations were going on in regard to IL
legally obtaining certificates OF the return
ing board. Some time after Mr.. Marble
called and told me in casual kind of way
about the corruption OF the returning board
of Florida. | never saw any OF these dis
patches relating 10 Florida either in cipher
or translation. In regard to the Oregon
dispatches, l did not know they came in
cipher until after the meeting of the COM
mirtee to investigate them. Some of
the dispatches were addressed to my res
idence, ID Gramercy park. don't
know that any OF these dispatches were
ever delivered there Col. Pelron's habits
of mind and mine are very different. A
day or two after the election, Gen. Grant
wrote letter recommending committees to
go South to see IA fair count. had nothing
To do with the selection of those committees.
| never heard from them but once and that
was in a communication signed by Often
dorfer and others. ] was very busy all the
time and did not undertake to correct the
ideas that they were my personal agents;
it has no foundation. They represented the
Democratic party. None of them, so far as
1 know, went to these States authorized to
do anything that gentleman might not do.
From the 7Ih Of November, 1876, until De-
cember &, the same year, under no cIrcum-
stances did enter into any competition for
seeking certificates by venal inducement'.
There never was an hour nor minute that
| entertained such thought. TO the people
who, as ] believe, elected me President OF
the United States-to four millions OF ciui-
zens who were defrauded-I owed it TO
proclaim that | would not yield one jOt or
little OF my right. Whatever evil may
re- ult from this -ubversiOn of the electoral
system and of free government, resolved
| would enter into no auction for the pur-
chase of the Chief Magistracy. LCheerS.
which the chairman, suppressed L was
resolved that ! would continue To protest
against the wrong by which the people
were detrauded out OF their rights.
Mr.. Tilden's voice, owing To cold, became
husky and il required effort to catch all his
words, Mr.. Tiden being asked, WHO is
your Private SecretaryY answered, Geo.
w Smith"
Q Mr.. THden. l find in cipher No. 40,
this dispatch. [Translation:l
"TALLAHAssEE, Nov 0.-George w.
Smith, 10 Gramercy Park: 1t has been
suggested from here to the Governor of
Oregon to refrain from issuing certificates
in favor Ineligible elector until advised
thereon. Why not obtain and telegraph
him O'Conor's opinion? See nay dispatch
Q. Have you any knowledge of it9 A.
| have not.
Q. Look over the translation. Have you
any recollections of having received it? A.
| have not.
o. You have read the Tribune's cipher
disclosures? A. L did at the time they
came out
O. Did Smith, your Private Secretary,
show you any of these dispatches? A He did
not,
o. He must have had the cipher. Do
YOU know if he did? A. l do not.
Q. What do you know OF the ciphers?
\ L know nothing about them.
@ When Col Pelton returned from Bal
tmore what was the nature of your inter-
view with him? \. l said something TO
him about his action and he made no reply.
| did not get from him any information
about ciphers or negotiations until L saw
them published. | did not believe that
Peton had any power, because he had no
authorization.
.. What was your conversation with
Edward Cooper? \. He came to me and
said he had receiVed a proposition to get
The substance OF the conversation was that
the votes were for sale.
Q. Did he mention Col. Pelton's name at
that time? a. He did not.
q. When did YOU next hear of corrupt
attempt in any State? A. | never heard.
Q. Do YOU mean 60 say you never heard
of any attempt to BRIDE? a. Not till the
publication OF the fact.
Q. When did you first hear of the Flor
ida bribery? A. From Marble. He sim
ply mentioned the circumstances after he
had returned from Florida. He gave me no
details and | made no inquiries.
Q. Did you make any inquiries from
your nephew about thes corrupt PROPOSE
tions to buy and sell? \. did not.
O. Then you had no interest in itp A.
Only interest in stopping it.
In reply to a question Ttlden said Col.
Pelron ceased about the first of January to
reside at his house.
Q. Did you make any request TO Pelton
to cease being Secretary for you? A, l
did not. | manifested my displeasure, but
did not ask him TO resign his position.
.. Did you keep up confidential reia-
lions with Smith Weed? A. Not in re-
gard To these transactions. l knew moth
ing of Weeds presence in South Carolina.
Q. Did you hear from him of his prop1-
sition to buy votes? a. 1 did not. | had
not the most kindly feelings towards Weed
Mr.. Tiden, continuing, said he had conf
dental relations with Marble. Before his
going to Florida he called to bid him good
bv. There was nothing in their conversa-
ton at the meeting bearing on TINS ques-
ton. 1t was no more than formal leave
taking. Mr.. Tilden re-asserted that In MS
interview with Cooper, no idea of accepting
the propositions to purchase votes was de-
hated between them, or thought OF Tor
moment. As for Pelton, he was the last
man in the world he (Tilden) would have
selected If be had intended to enter into
such transaction as purchasing electoral
votes Asked why, in his card TO the pub
lie he did not refer TO the Baltimore trans
action, Mr. Tilden replied that it was not
pertinent. .
o. Do you not see by your statement
that YOU had no knowledge OF negotiations
exceut through the Tribune is likely to de-
ceive because you had heard OF the DAHL
ffaff