The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-02-14
The CIPHER INVESTIGATION.

New YORK, Feb. S-The committee
OF investigation on the cipher dispatches
met as per adjournment.
Samuel j. Tilden Immediately upon
entering the room was sworn by Mr.
Hunter, chairman, who said: Governor
Tilden we received your note expressing
your willingness to testify.
Tilden-I have a cold and can't speak
very loud. The publications and trans
latiOns in the New York papers have
read; l did not recognize a single dis.
patch, either in cipher or translation,
which had ever seen before; l never
entered into any arrangements to Dur.
chase the vote of Florida; had no intor.
nation or suspicion that any such com.
munications were being carried on, un-
til l saw dispatches published in the
New York Tribune; had no knowledge
or dealings with parties to these negoti-
atoms; never authorized any such nego.
tlations in any form whatever On the
morning of November Goth, 1875, Mrs.
Col, Pelton mentioned in my presence
that her husband had gone for a day ;
didn't know he had gone or was in.
tending to go out of the city; he went
to Philadelphia; believe later in the
day 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
tain for money the vote of South Carroll
ma; l said | would authorize. no such
purpose; the conversation occupied only
few minutes. obtained Col. Pelton;s
address in Baltimore and telegraphed to
him to come home. knew nothing of
the ciphers that had been passing be-
tween him and others, and could not
have translated them. / did not know.
was not informed that negotiations
were going on in regard to illegally OBJ
tanning certificates of returning board.
One time Mr.. Marble called and told me
in casual kind of way, about the cor
ruptlon of the returning board of Flori-
Ola. l never saw any of these dispatches
relating to Floaida either in cipher or
translated. In regard to the Oregon dis
patches, l did not know they came in CT
pher until after the meeting of the COM
mlttee to investigate them. Some of the
dispatches were addressed to my resi-
dence, 10, Gramercy Park. l did not
know that any of these dispatches were
ever delivered there. Colonel Pelton's
habits of mind and mine are very differ
ent. A day or two after the election
General Grant wrote a letter recommend
ing that committees go south to see a
fair count. l had nothing to do with
-.
never heard from them but
once, and that was a communication
signed by Ottendarfer and others
L was very busy all the time and did not
undertake to correct the idea they were
my personal agents, and it has no foun-
nation; they did not represent the Dem
ocratic party; none of them, so far as
know, went to these states authorized to
do anything that gentlemen ought not to
do. From the 7th of November, 1876.
until December Sth of the same year,
under no circumstances did enter into
any competition for seeking certificates
by any venal inducements. There never
was minute or an hour that l enter
tanned any such thoughts of the people,
who, as l believed, elected me President
of the United States. To four million
citizens who were defrauded, owed it
to proclaim that would not Weld one
jot or title of my right. Whatever evil
may result from this subversion of cleo
toral system and of free government,
resolved that I would enter into no ac-
ton for the purpose of the chief magis-
tracy. (Cheers-which chairman sup
pressed.) was resolved that | would
continue to protest against any wrong
by which the people were defrauded of
their rights. Mr.. Tilden's voice, owing
TO cold, became husky, and it required
some effort to catch all his words. Til
den being asked, "Who is your private
secretary 80 answered, George W. Smith.
Tilden, continuing, said he had conf
Dental relations with Marble before go
ing to Florida. He called to bid him
goodbye. There was nothing in their
conversation at meeting, bearing on this
question. It was mere leavetaking.
Tilden reasSerted In his interview with
Cooper he had no idea of accepting pro-
positions to purchase votes, and It was
not debated or thought OF for a mo-
ment. As for Pelton, he was the last
man in the world Tilden would have Sc
lected if he had intended TO enter into
any such transaction as purchasing cleo
toral votes. He was asked why, in his
card to the public, he did not refer to the
Baltimore transaction. Tilden replied
that it was not pertinent.
Q-Do you not see your statement that
you had no knowledge of any negotiation
except through the Tribune is likely to