The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-01-24
The Cipher Dispatches.

In the House of Representatives, on Tues
day, Mr.. Potter, of New York, brought up
the resolution to investigate the cipher tele-
grams alleged to have been sent to and from
the South during the Presidential election
contest Mr. Potter said he had not volun
teered the resolution, but had presented it
because instructed to do so by his committee.
Mr.. Butler opposed the investigation and
argued that the dispatches had been lying
around loose SO long that many of them had
doubtless been destroyed, and the investiga-
ton would be but fragmentary 1t was not
prompted in the interests of the Republican
party and he could not conceive how it
could be prompted in the interests of the
Democratic party. He also argued that be-
cause electors votes were not bought no
crime was committed and the House there
fore had no Jurisdiction.
Messrs. Hale and Conger, Republicans
spoke in favor of making the investigation.
MIR. Hewitt, Democrat, of New York, made
the strongest speech on the subject He de-
MED all knowledge of the cipher kilograms
previous to their publication in the New
York Tribune, and asserted, in unequivocal
Terms, that no officer of the National Demo-
cratic Committee had ever sent or received q
dispatch containing reference to the use of
money to influence Returning Boards or
electoral votes. He did not know whether
the dispatches were genuine or not, or wheth-
er the TRANSACTIONS were true or false. They
passed between private individuals, without
consultation with him, who was charged with
the conduct of the campaign, or, as he was
authorized to say, with Mr.. Tilden. The
proposed investigation would establish these
facts. Justice to Samuel j. Tilden he said,
requires that the investigation shall be made
Justice to the great Democratic party whose
chosen leader he was demands it. Justice to
the American people who elected him to the
highest office in their gift demands it. JUS
tice to the fundamental principles on which
free government is founded demands it.
He declared that the Republican policy
had been to show that Mr.. Tilden was no bet
ter than Mr.. Hayes; that the Republican
party had covered up the traces of its fraud
by appointing the perpetrators to offices I'M
der the government. Republican letters and
and kilograms had been destroyed, while
every scrap of writing or telegraph dispatch
that could be tortured into evidence of Dem
ocratic fraud had been preserved. Mr. Hew-
lit declared that there was not one PARTICLE of
evidence to connect Mr. Tilden with knowl.
edge of the operations Of his over-zealous
friends, in undertaking to buy the electoral
votes which were in the market for the high
est bidder. He ridiculed the assertion that
the plan failed for want of money, and closed
as follows:
"Lct, then, Mr.. Tilden have the opportunity
to confront his accusers, his traducers, his
maigners. before a competent tribunal Lei
the man who Of right should occupy to-day
the Executive chair go on the witness stand
if need be, and satisfy the American people
and the world that one at least of the cand-
dates of the two great parties whose existence
is essential to the maintenance of free govern
ment is not miserable trickster willing to
make bargains for the highest office in the
gift of the people, every hours wrongful &C.
cupation Of which only intensifes the dishon-
or of its acquisition and the humiliation of
its possession"
The House adopted the resolution without
a division, s