The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-02-26

purchase an electoral vote before the publicai
tion Of these dispatches, and he regarded them
ss attempts to sell, not to buy be was first
told OF the Florida matter by Mr.. Marble, who
remarked to him that the Florida vote had
been for sale. Mr.. Tilden said he knew Smith
M. Weed, but his relations with him we're not
more confidential than with any other promi-
nent Democrat he did not know OF Mr..
Weeds presence in South Carolina until
after his return. He then had q brief
conversation with him. He took him to
Mr.. Cooper informed him Of the South Caro-
lima proposition he (Mr. Cooper said nothing
to indicate that he had encouraged Colonel
Pelton to believe that any money would be
furnished. Witness supposed that the gentle
men who went South were competent to per-
form the duties for which they had been select
ed by the national committee, and he never
gave them any instructions, or undertook to
exercise any supervision over them. He was
irritated with Colonel Pelton for having any
thing to do with the South Carolina PROPOSE
ton. II he 1.-THE w~itness) had any disposition
to engage in any such transaction, Colonel Pei
ton was the last mau in the United States whom
he would have permitted to have anything to
do with it.; he regarded Colonel Pelton's action
as q piece Of ~oficious meddling. In the card
which the witness had published he did not re-
fer to the Baltimore transaction, because he
did not think it was necessary; all that he said
in that case was strictly true. He knew moth
ing whatever about the ciphers, and did not
know the negotiators had been refused; buthe
knew the Baltimore negotiation had been crush
ed, and that he had crushed it. He had no
interview with Weed before he went South, and
did not know of the Florida offer until December
G.. 1876. he did not watch the presidential
contest carefully, nor with absolute indifer-
erce. He did not expect to be fully advised
about what was going on. he was positive,
at any rate, that he never saw 8 dispatch from
Marble, and had no recollection OF ever having
heard of 1t until the present time. The first
intimation he had Of the contest he learned
from the newspapers. he had no idea who
WAS at the other end Of the wire from visiting
statesmen in the South. he assumed, how
ever, that the national Democratic committee
was in consultation. He didn't trouble him
self to learn what members of the committee
we're looking after the affairs in the South.
BE was not aware that Col. Pelton was acting
for the committee. Pelton was not 8 man to
be- trusted with any momentous issue. With
out excusing Pelton in the least, and such WAS
not his intention, he would say that there had
been rumors Of venality abont those three
States, Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina,
and he declared before God and his country
that he thought these States were bought, and
that the presidency was controlled by their
purchase.
MIR. Hiscock here asked witness to lame any
evidence proving that any of the returning
board had been bought, and Mr.. Tilden replied
that McLin, Of the Florida returning board,
bad sworn that he had given q false certificate.
Mr.. Hiscock replied that witness WAS mistaken;
that McLin had sworn to nothing Of the sort.
Mr.. Hiscock said that McLin had testified
that he had been approached by Manton Mar
BILE with an offer for tho purchase Of votes.
He (Mr. Hiscock) deemed 1t his duty to make
this refutation in the face of MIR. Tilden's as
PERSONS on McLin's character. Mr.. Tilden re-
piled that he would be just to every one
self fully without going into matters con-
nected with my family relations" Mr.. His
cock disclaimed any such intent. The witness
was then asked if he had any information OF
the time that the returning boards Of South
Carolina and Florida were for sale, and If he
could give the names Of the gentlemen who
told him 30. He replied that he could not
give the name Of any man. he admitted that
up to the time that Pelton went to Baltimore he
had no knowledge excepting newspaper in
formation about the alleged corruption Of the
Republicans in dealing with the returning
boards. After 8 few more questions not of
special interest, Mr.. Tilden's examination
closed.
Mr. Paris was then recalled and testified
that he went to Florida in 1876 ae counsel to
look after the Democratic interests, but that
while there he knew Of no action looking to the
inf uencing Of the returning board by money.
George ". Smith, Mr.. Tlden's private secre-
tary, was the last witness called, and was
briefly examined concerning the reception Of
kilograms at Mr.. Tilden's house, after which
the sitting closed, the chairman stating there
would probably be no more witnesses examined
in New York.