The Portland daily press., 1879-03-10
The Cipher Dispatches.
Extract from the Report of the Minority
efthe Potter Committee.

1uo AuuOWlbS - pOlbtuu VI tuO AuiuOAisy
report OF the Potter committee which relates to
the cipher dispatches, verbatim:
We present our views on the cipher dispatch in
vestiPanon which we were ordered to make, under
somewhat of disadvantage. We are not in possess
sion of the views of the majority, Of any indca
tion what they will be; and it is plainly apparent at
this present writing that no time can be had to
view anything which may hereafter be presented.
While we could wish ii were otherwise, since moth
ing SO tends to elicit truth as fair and open Discus
sion yet must, of course, submit to the action OF
the majority and present our views as best we may.
In discussion of the cipher despatch inves iga
tion, in our discussion of other matters we shall
confne ourselves to the investigation which we our
selves made, We shall take it for granted that the
House is familiar with the Tribune extras which
have been published from time to time. 1t may
fairly be said that whole investigation based
upon what the enterprise and wonderful skill of the
Tribune trapslators had brought to light. Indeed it
was on these very publications that the resolution
directing us to investigate was founded.
Believing, therefore, that any description of the
kilograms with which the public are already famil-
lar would be superfuous, we desire succinctly to
state our conclusions on the following points.
1st. What bearing have these cipher dispatches
upon the objects Of investigation if proven to be
tuc dCtc anu VI anu hAo
| agents.
I'd. What the proofs are as they stand on the
pages of our report, as to who are responsible for
| these acs.
3D.. Were the Returning Boards Of Florida and
| South Carolina. or either OF them, for sale.
4th. Were there any Republican dispatches SINH
lar in character to those of Mr. Tiden's agents.
1st. What bearing have these cipher dispatches
upon the original subjects Of our investigation ii
proven to be the corrupt acts and attempts Of Mr..
| Tilden and his agents.
The original subject of our investigation was the
honesty dishonesty of the election in Florida, Lou
isiana, and South Carolina. For two years prior TO
October 1878, Mr.. Tioen and his agents, in season
and out of season, had iterated and reiterated the
charges that the canvassng boards of the doubtful
States had acted frauiuently and corruptly in the
discharge of sworn duties. l
1t these charges had been fortified by any proof
the characters of those who made the charges would
| be of no consequence whatever. But, in faet ouI
whole investigation with its 5000 pages of hearsay
and falsehood has not afforded the slightest proof Of
| what was asserted. No man has come forward tC
say that any bribe was accepted or that any mem
ber Of any CanvassDg Board indicated any desire to
betray his trust. Every ntimaton of that kind has
been traced to some democrat and there ends; and
| that democrat has never been brought before US
McLin, to whose testimony Mr.. Tilden referred, al
| though goaded by sickness and imaginary wrongs,
never for moment admits any improper conduct al
the time He only thinks from after knowledge that
| he may have been mistaken. Geueral Barlow. whose
conduct has received The compliments of the major
ty after full knowledge ofthe workings OF Mr.. Cow
glrs mind. admi his homes Of purpose and that o
all the others As to the Souh Carolina Board, thu
iull, ree and 1ncontrddicfed testimony of MIR Dunn
| satisfied every man who heard it Of the absence o
| fraud in South Carolina. The case of Louisiana WI
l alrpalV discussed. No teSlimQQy has
| before us which attacks the action there. Thes
| charges, then, of fraud and corruption with whic
| Mr.. rlllen aad his agents have filled the air a.
nothing but the unsupported assertions Of ltigant
| against whom the courts have decided. Now if thes
| litigan's and agents we're men OF good cbaracte
who had themselves behaved with honor their asser
tiOns might command some influence in spite of thei
evident self-DeIest Here il Is that the cipher dis
patch disclosures aid most materially in the dis
every of the Truth. When the coseness of the re
suit 10 The three States known, prominent met
OF both parties hurried the capitals of these states
each side to aid and support It's lends. There were
| just many democrats as republicans, men just a
| able, and the same standing and character. Eaci
OF ty proceeded to aid their friends to pro
cure evidence, prepare their cases, and to presen
them to the court Both acted in precisely the sam
| way.
ors. Straightway the defeated party with his agent
set up the assertion of wrong doing To bolster NJ
that assert by proof the object of the oigna
first of August and found no evidence. In October
he publication of the cipher dispatches in the Trib
|
been oudest in their denunciatlons OF the tribunal
| before whom they had failed, had themselves en-
deavored to corrupt with money those very tribunals
Al that momeuG the accusali ions ceased TO be tn
| assertions aud opinions OF honest men, and becam
the SANDERS of foled and beaten suboIners Q
| corruption. The country which had been deceive
| blythe apparent esrnestness and houesty of MI
| 1iden and his agents began to realize The intens
hypocrisy of all tbat Marble had written an
This fabric If alleged fraud thus fallen is what th
| report of the majority is endeayoiing TO build u
again, aud upon The old foundations No wonde
| teen that they preferred to make separate repoI
| tue cipher-.
Second. What are the proofs before us as to VIII
| is responsible for these corrupt attempts?
| That the great body of the Democratic party ha
no knowledge of this corrupt course OF ction goe
| without saying. The Democrats as body can neve
be made responsible for it except so far as they III
doIse it by their future action. That resuonslbiiit
now rests either upon the Democratic national cool
mittee or upon Mr.. 1ilden. Upon which we will dii
| cuss hereafter.
WHAT WAS PROVED.
At the outset it may be well to remark that th
committee tound this investigation ready made to il
hand. The Tribune Extra, No. Al, presented all II
important dispatches, with the keys whereby the
could be translated, and the facts and current even
which rendered the whole matter easy to understan
So complete had been the investigation, so conclusi
| the demonstration, that the man features nobod
dared to deny or question. When the parties to Il
attempted briberies were put upon the stand the
we're forced to admit the receipt and transmission
the eliminating dispatches each and all of them.
course they did not confess ALL and the confessions
each were limited by the extent of the needs of sci
preservation of each. Mr. Smith Weed, to who
this seems not to have been new work, was mut
| freer in his Acknowledgements than Mr.. Marble. Co
onel FELTON, whose appearance before the committ'
was really pitiable, seems to have been selected
| bear the largest share Of the burdens. MIR. Mantc
Marble occupies different situation. He had pri
to October, 1878, taken consplcnoassy nisn toh' n
l :er and had otherwise conducted hlmsef lofily b
fore mankind, He could not. therefore, avoid an a
| tempt to preserve himself.
1t was not Tor MIN to take the bold position of
Smith Weed that it was right TO rescue stolen goo
from robbers. Such an ark OF refuge would ha
W7rec cked him long before reaching Ararat. Nevertb
less the com nittee had two propositions TO buy t
Florida Returning Board in bis own hlndwritin
two replies of Pelton, and his own reJoinder. The
he as obliged to admit, and also to admit the ''su
stantSl' accuracy OF the Iranslations. his explan
| ton Of the two incriminating dispatches which
had and a possible third one which we did not ma
was that he sent them as danger-Signais, The buI
, | of concentrations laughter with which the aud'en
| greeted this explanation Mr.. Marble VIII propab
We do not intend to comment upon the testimo
| of particular witnesses. wider audience than "
ever listen to this report has long since passed jud
| ment upon them We partieularize this episode In
| Marbles testimony because he has been the proli
author of the larger part Ut The fraud literature
| mouth has been wi er open than his in denDnci
tion and simu ated scorn and yet all the time be "
| carving ip his own bosom the guilty. secret
temped CORFU ption. Ii is upon the opinion of sucl
, | man tn we are called upon to believe that
Florida board violated its oath and disregarded
l conscience.
+ MR.. TILDEN's KNOWLEDGE.
The evidence Il, show that Mr.. 1ilden was ignors
of these transactions is limited to the denals OF
Tien and Colon 81 Pe!ton. That Colonel Pelt
I should endeavor to shield bis uncle would be natu
I to man Of his character under such circumstanc
} His absolute dependence upon his uncle has OF
I been increased by this disclosure. Before th
Colonel Pelton had lived on his bounty and had do
. | his work. Since then he can depend upon no c
| else. Hence bis selection to bear the brunt Of {
occasion. Your commi ttee cannot go over his tes
| mony in detail They can only express their juC
ment that his story OF solitary responsibility
utterly inconsistent with itself, with his own sta
ments, and with every proven fact in the case. I
idea that this penniless man. living in the house,
sitting at the very table of his wealthy uncle, q
t Tilden, should have conducted negotiations invo
, ing such large sums without word or hint TO
= man most deeply interested, or to anybody el
cannot for moment be entertained by cinuiu m
If Colonel Peton's story be true be must De rem'
ed from the category of kuaves TO that OF io1ls
| the man who con uctet the campaign d isio az q