The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-02-10
~; 33iI Norfolk. ~
. !, q, PATRONS OF HUsBANDRYY..,,..

r.. 5;:.:.3 PATRONS OF HUsBANDRY. nh ? 8
.is<ct Especial telegram to the Dispatch.I =
NORFOLK. VA, February S.-Dr. j., N.
Blanton, Grand Master Of the Patrons OF
Husbandry OF the State, and M. W. Halle
wood, secretary, have arrived here to attend
the annual meeting Of the State Grange,
which cenvenes in this city next Tuesday.
i&J3 The Potter investigation! i-l
A WHOLESALE DENIAL FROM Mr.. TILDEE UNDER
! -.3.llI "a j. / OATH. s.sa II J. L ~
NEW YORK, February SIN the Potter
committee this morning Governor 1ilden
entered, accompanied by his brother, Henry
a. Tilden, OF Lebanon; John Bigelow, and
Henry F. Dimmock. The Governor was at
once sworn by Mr.. Hunton, chairman, who
said: "Goyernor Tilden, we received your
note expressing your willingness to testIfy.'
Mr.. Tilden replied: have read the
publication and translations in the New
York papers. 1 did not recognize single
one, either in cipher or translation, which
had ever seen before. I never entered
into any arrangement TO purchase the votes
OF South Carolina or Florida. I bad no in
formation nor suspicion that any such COM
munications were being carried on until I
saw the dispatches published in the New
York Tribune. had no knowledge nor
any dealings with any parties to these ne
Sotiations, l never authorized any such
negotiations in any form whatever. On the
morning OF November 90, 1876, Mrs. Colo
mel Pelton mentioned in my presence that
her husband had gone for the day. did
not know he had gone or was going ont
OF the city. He went to Philadelphia, be-
lieYe. Later in the day was called on by
Dir. Cooper, who was on his way down
town, and was told by him that he had re-
ceived an offer from some party offering to
obtain for money the vote OF South Caro-
lima. I said I would authorize no such
transaction nor send money for any such
purpose. The whole conversation occupied
only few moments. I obtained Colonel
Pelton's address IN Baltimore, and tele-
graphed him to come. / knew nothing.
OF the ciphers that had been passing
between him and others, and I could
not have trusted them. With regard to
Florida, I never saw one OF the tel
ograms, either in cipher or translation. I
did not know, was not informed that any
negotiations were going on in regard to il
legally obtaining the certificates Of the Re-
turning Board. Mr.. Marble told me in a
casual kind OF way about the corruption Of
the Returning Board Of Florida. never
saw any one OF those dispatches
relating to Florida either in cipher
or translation. In regard to the
Oregon dispatches, I did not know they
came in cipher until after the meeting Of
the committee to investigate them. Some
of the dispatches were addressed to my resi-
deuce, Is Gramercy Park. do not know
that any OF those dispatches were ever de-
liyered there. Colonel Pelton's habits OF
mind and mine are very different. A day
or two after the election General Grant
wrote letter recommending that commit
tees be sent Southito see u fair count. had
nothing to do with the selection Of these CON-
mittees. / never heard from them but once,
and that was communication signed by
Dir. Ottendorfer and others. L was very
busy all that time, and did not undertake
to correct the idea that they were my per-
sonal agents. That idea has no foundation.
They represented the Democratic party.
None Of them, so far as knew, went to
these States authorized to do anything that
gentlemen might not do. From the 7th OF
November, 1876, to December 9Th Of the
same year, under no circumstances did l
enter into any competition for the seeking
OF certificates by yenal inducements. There
never was an hour, nor minute, that l en-
tertained such thought.
TO the people who believed had elected
me President of the United States, to the
four millions OF citizens who were de-
frauded, I owed it as a duty to proclaim
I would not yield one iot or title OF my
right. Whatever evils may result from this
subyersion of the electoral system and OF
free government I resolved that would
enter into no auction for the purchase Of the
Chief Magistracy. [Cbeers, which the
chairman suppressed was resolved that
I would continue to protest against the
wrong by which the people were
defrauded out OF their rights. Mr..
TiIden's voice was husky, and 1t
Was difficult to hear him. When Mr.. Pei
ton returned from Baltimore said some
thing to him about his action. He made no.
reply. did not get from him any informa-
ton about the ciphers or negotiations until
I,saw them published. [ did not believe
that Pelton had any power, because he had
no authorization. Edward Cooper came to
me and said that he had received a propo-
sition to get the votes OF South Carolina for
money. The substance OF our conversation
was that the votes were for sale. never
heard OF any attempt to bride until the pub
LEGATION of the fact. I first heard Of the
Florida bribery from Mr.. Marble He SIM
ply mentioned the circumstance after he
bad returned from Florida. He gave me
no details, and made no inquiries. |
made no inquiries from my nephew
about these corrupt propositions to buy
and sell.
Question: Then you had no interest in it?
Answer: Only an interest ia stopping it.
/, Mr.. Tilden admitted that he had
had confidential relations with Manten
Marble; that the latter before going to
FLORIDA had called to bid him goodbye
There was nothing in their conversation at
the meeting bearing on this question. 1t
was little more than 4 formal 1caYe-tahlng.
He reiterated, in reply TO questions, that IN
his interview with Dir. Cooper he had no
idea Of accepting proposition to purchase
the votes, nor was it debated between them
or Thought OF for moment. As for Colo
mel PeIton, he was the last man in the world
he mir. Tidep) would have selected II ne
had intended to enter into such transac-
lions as purchasing the electoral votes.
Being asked why it was in his card to the
public he did not refer to the Baltimore
transaction, Mr.. Tilden replied that lt was
not pertinent. - 49, Xxi, ~
Question Do.You not see that your state
,ment that you had no knowledge OF the ne
gotiations except through the tribune rs
iikeIyto deceive, because you had heard OF
the Baltimore nego tiations? gu. =. -.
! This question seemed TO- stagger Mr. I'll
den somew hat, bot he. said that he did NOT
know of; the cipher kilograms which l,s
passed on the subject, nor OF any negotla-
lions. but die know that there had been an
offer in So,Ith Carolina, which he bad put
an end to Dy his Intervention. 5.t S.s.:,s..
Question !: You made your statement e. con