The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-02-19
THE MORRIOTOWN GAZETTE
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Mr.. TILDEN ON THE CIPHERS.
He knew of none of them and
heard of one offered bar.
gain only to stop it.

y | D~OE 40
Mr.. Tilden, at his own reques
testified before the Potter sub-com
mittee at the Fifth Avenue Hote
New York, on the 9Th instant, as t
his knowledge of the notorious c
pher dispatches relative to the coun
of the electoral votes OF South Care
: lima, Florida and Louisiana. Hi
examination lasted two hours. Be
fore the examination was begun, MI
Tilden made statement TO the com
mittee, which we copy entire below
in which he stated that he never saV
or heard of or suspected the exist
ence of the cipher dispatches pub
lished by the Tribune until theil
publication; that no negotiations fol
the vote of Florida or South Carroll
ma were undertaken with his author
ity, sanction or knowledge ; that the
first that he heard of the South Car.
olina transaction was Mr.. Cooper's
communication to him of Pelton's S
dispatch from Baltimore asking for
100000 or $4,000, and that be then
Immediately ordered that proceed
lug stopped aud Pelton home. He
know nothing of the proffer of Flor
ida's vote till the whole matter was
long past, when Mr.. Marble men
toned as a bygone affair that there
had been such a proffer and that it
had been declined. II believe" be
said, II declare before God and my
country it is my entire belief that
the vote and the certificates of South
Carolina, of Florida and of Louisi.
ana were bought; that the Presi.
dency was bought. Pelton's act was
an inchoate offense. but on the 9TH
er side the act which was done was
a completed and consummated |
fraud, and the possession of the
Presidency Of the United States was
given to man who was not elected"
When Governor Tilden had been
sworn, Chairman Hunton said
Governor Tilden, we have received
'our note requesting permission to
appear before this committee and
estify. We are prepared now to
Iear any statement you desire to
nake touching the subject matter of
1vestigation."
Mr.. Tilden replied that he had a !
evere cold and was afraid that he :
hould not be able to speak very
,ud.
The chair-I shall be glad if you I
i'll speak as loud as possible. c
Mr.. Tilden then made the follow Q
lg statement: b
THE publication of the cipher d
.legrams in the New York Tribune, C
lose relating to South Carolina on I
le 10th of October and those rela- G
ng to Florida on the 18th, have g
'ad and l do not recognize a single P
ne of the dispatches. There is t.
one either in cipher or translation y
le contents of which had been COM t.
unicated to me. In respect to t.
ose which relate to negotiations to Il
duce members of the canvassing p
)ards of South Carolina and Flori. n
| to agree to give to the Demo n
attic electors certificate of eec. a
On on payment of a certain sum of d
oEey | know nothing. I never saw "
word Of those kilograms either in "
pher or translated, and none of the ii
ntents have ever been communi- tc
ted to me 10 any manner whatso. hI
er. l had no knowledge and no
and no suspicion of that m
rrespondence or proceeding until T
e publication of it in the Tribune, II
r of negotiations on behalf Of any a
smber of the Returning Board Of tn
nth Carolina or of the State Can az
ssers Of Florida or any other State. pt
0ne such were ever entertained by gc
Y authority or with my sanction. Sc
, negotiations, no dealing with lie
EN-, no dealing with any one Of NJ
EN- was ever authorized or sane nc
ned by me in any manner what dt
er, The first information ever an
,eived that any such negotiations th
d ever existed between agents Of co
} Democratic party and any men, on
: of the State Canvassers OF South pa
rolina to obtain their certificates fel
It the Democratic electors had tir
IN chosen was after Colonel Pei ms
went to Baltimore. / am not grt
e to fix the date positively in my stc
bat it was after Colonel th;
ton went. On the morning of the est
h of November, 1876, Mrs. Col we
i Pelton mentioned in my pres the
e that her husband had gone to so
ladelphia. It was a casual men, of
/. / did not know he was going or
cave the city-did not know that thi
had left it. A little later in the do.
ming was called on by the est
asurer of the National Democrat wa
Mr.. Edward Cooper, ags