New-York tribune., 1879-01-30
TIE CIPHER INVESTIGA TON.


The crime of Republicans in getting posses
sion of cipher dispatches has now been fully
investigated In Democratic eyes, this was a
far greater offence than the attempt TO bribe
an elcctOr. Therefore it was more promptly
investigated, and the intellect of Dem
ocratic managers was eXerted to the ut
most to place in the strongest light that
great sin. 1t must be admitted that
the Republicans who had part i'll the matter
testified with much freedom and fraDkncss.
1t did not appear to them that the detection
and exposure of an illegal and Infamous
bargain was in any respect discreditable.
Nor was there the slightest evidence
obtained Of any attempt on the part
of Republicans to suppress Republican DIS
patches. Mr.. Tyner took possession Of, and
stands ready to produce, such dispatches
as were sent by him, and all the world Is well
come to know what they meant. Mr. Chand-
Ter, also. not only neglected to destroy any
dispatches sent by him, but offered to trans
late all of them for the Potter Com
mirtcc. Not a scrap OF evidence ap-
pears that criminal or dIscreditable dispatches
passed between any Republicans III re-
spect to the election of 1876 or the final
decision in 1877. and any suggestion that
such dispatches might hare been sent, and
afterwards might hare been DESTROYED, Is
mere bascless calumny, in the present state
of the evidence Moreover, the inquiry
goes on with the obvious intention on the
part of Democratic managers to smirch some
Republicans If they can, every day of invesii-
cation lessons the probability that there will
be discovered any ground for the calumny.
Now the world knows exactly how Demo
cratic cipher dispatches came into the posses
sion of the Republicans. The steps are briefly
these
7. A Democratic Committee of the House
began to cast a draG-net in telegraph Offices, III
the hope of finding some evidence damaging to
Republicans. After Iummaging through bush
els of dispatches, it found not one which Was
thought worth publishing
III. The Senate appointed a committee for
the purpose of investigating. Bank-books aud
private dispatches were called for. Then near
friends of Mr.. Tlden made haste to stop the
inquiry.
III. The dispatches delivered to the Senate
and House Committees, so far as they related
to the subject under investigation, became
public property from that instant. Either
Congress had no right to call for them at all
or absolute discretion rests with Congress to
say in what cases and how far 1t will demand
possession OF private kilograms for public ends.
If the former, the House Democratic Commit
tee began the invasion of private kilograms
and the entire responsibility for every dis
closure rests with the two houses which Or
dered the dispatches produced. III the latter,
the decision by either House or its commit
tee that any dispatches must be pro-
duced for public ends rendered them
public property Neither House had any righ
to suppress any Of them, nor had any individ-
nal of either committee that right. The per-
sons who had access to these dispatches knew
that they had become public property. so far us
they related to the matter under investigations
If any were i'll cipher. though obviously relating
TO that matter, il was the right OF any faithful
public servant to translate them, or to get
them translated, for the public benefit. The
entire and absolute responsibility for the pro-
duction of private telegrams, under these
circumstances, rests with the two houses
which ordered them delivered. When
they had once been delivered, in obe-
dicncc TO "A mandate from a committee.
no member had any right. nor had
the Committee itself any right, to suppress or
conceal single dispatch, creeping s"ch as
icerc not pertinent 10 he iam6diy ordered iRe
rcshgdtiOn.
". The members OF either committee who
consented to suppress evidence, after the dis
patches had been delivered to that commit
tee, were III the wrong. They had no right
to make any such bargain, for personal or
partisan or any other ends. 1t had been decided