The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-02-08
The Potter investigation,
zoV. TI1DEN ON THE STAND.

New YORK, Feb. Sat the session of
the Cipher Investigating Committee this
morning, Ex-GovernOr Samuel j Ii!den
was sworn, Immediately upon entering the
room, by Mr.. Hunton, the chairman of the
committee. The Governor spoke of his
being afflicted with a severe cold, which
would prevent his speaking very loQd. lie
then began his statement by sayiGg i
haye read the transiationS, published in
the New York papers, Of dispatches re-
latng to the late presidential contest. l
did not recognize a single despatch,
either in the cipher or the trans
latioD, which I had ever received.
| never entered into any arrangement
to purchase the vote Of South Carohaa or
Florida. / had no'information, no suspi-
cion, that any such communications were
being carried on until l saw the des
patches published in the New York Tri-
6une, had no knowledge, no dealings
with any parties to these negotiations.
never authorized any such ae
gotiations IN any form whatever.
Un the morning Of November
twentieth, 1876, Mrs. Col. Peton mention 9
iu my presence that her husband had gont
for the day; it oidu't know he had gone OF
was going out of the city. He went tt
Philadelphia, believe. Later 10 the day
| was called on by Mr.. Cooper who wa;
on his way down town, and was told b!
him that he had received an offer from
some party, offering to obtain for money,
the vote Of South Ca-G!iaa. tsaid l'W0uiC
authorize 1o-sgch rtrausaGtion, nor spenC
money for any such purpose. The who'll
conversation occupied only few minutes
obtained Col. PeltoE' address in Balti
| more, and telegraphed him to come home
know nothing of the cipher that he's ha2
passing between hin and 0taeFs aud
could not have been translated them
With regard to Florida l never saw one o
the telegrams either in cipher or transla
ton. did not know, | was otinfOrmec
that negotiations were going on u :esar
to illegally obtsininG ta6 osrtiheates OF th
lpsturLing board Some time MIR. MarDl
laAed aud told me in casual kind OF
Say. about the corruption Of the returnln
; board Of Florida. | Ecvcr saw any {
those dispatches relating to AAodQq, eltht
: in cipher OK translation in. ln regard to tt
Greg D dispatches | did rot know the
lc me N OinhA. until afler the meeting
the committee t. investigate them.
Some of the dispatches we're addressed
mv residence, Is Gramercy Park. 90 a
know that suy Of those despa,chos We
delivered there. Col, feiton' = habits
: mind and mine are very different.
!. dav or two after the election, Gen. Gra
. wrote letter recon mendiBg that Gel
- mittee go south TO see fair count. n
nothing to do with the seestion OF tho
committees. | never heard from them 3
once and that was a communication sign
nv Ottepdorfer end others. l was We
bnsv all the time aud did not undertake
correct the idea that they were my perso
al agents. They did not represent t
democratic party. None of them, SO far
sR know, went 20 those states authorized
IN IN do any thing that gentlemen might not
From the 7th of November 1876, until l
cember 9th, of the same year, under
circumstances did | enter into any conn
tition for seeking certificates by venal
ducement. There never was an hour
minute that | entertained any SD
thought. To the people who, as / belle
elected me president OF the United Stat
20 the four million citizens who were
frauded. | owed it to proclaim would
n weld one lot or title of my right, whate'
NAV result from this subversl0n OF
electoral system aud of free governme
| resolved | would enter into no action
nd the purchase of the chief msglstra
he TCheeers, which the chairman suppress
S, i was resolved that | would continue
he nrotest against the wrong by which
"a neople we're defrauded of their rigI
10 Mr.. Tilden's voice owing to his severe
D. became husky and it required an effort
''' catch his words.
O,-Who is your private Secretary
gsss A.-George w. Smith.
md have no knowledge of the following
en-. en- patch; ,.D. NJ o.
l. George w. Smith, Is Gramercy IA
III has been suggested from here
have the governor of Oregon rell
: q issuing certificate 10 favor OF the Inc e,
ble,eleclor, until advised thereon: V
zns not obtain aud telegraph him OConn
opiuionY See my despatch TO SPAN;
DC (Signed) M
'ne read the 1ribuRe's disclosures i'but
n'' knew of the ciphers in that way
the Witness private secretary, Smith, o.
ns ,nsi showed him any of the dispatches IN
'Irr @ know that be had cipher; knew nov
10 of the ciphers. When Felton ieaui
from Baltimore, witness said sonnet
lee ,ss no him about bis action, aud he msa'
and yenlv. Got from him no information O.
zach ,he sinners until they were pupHH