New-York tribune., 1879-01-30
REPUBLICAN ClPHERS.
p,TCH OF THEM PRODUCED.

The principal two witnesses before the
potter Committee yesterday were Judge
T,ner and General Brady. Both gen
,cmen brought with them to the com
.aittoe room their cipher dispatches OF
Ie76 and explained them fully. The story
ahout them was interesting, but the kilograms
were perfectly innocent. The Editor OIL AhL
tribune is expected to testify to-day
No TRACE OF A BARGAIN WHATEVER.
.rs npvocRATs TRY TO TORTURE THE FACT OF
THE EMPLOYMENT OF CIPHER iNlp SCAN
pAL-TnE TRANSLATION REFUrEs THEM
rny TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE]
u,su,xcrox. Ian. 29-Mr. POtters Committee
r,i,ht ~ we'll abandon the hunt for Republican
fronds and turn its attention TO more promising
fields of inquiry. ;.
There were dispatches sent and received during
tbe Fall and Winter of 1876, both by KepQDncaiiS
and Democrats, aud it is very probapie Una i"i
nropOrton of them were wholly or parity iiacipnei'
II is customary for people who are managing any
enterprise from peanut stand 10 IreSlueh'i"i
~loc,ion 10 send communications by. mail OF tele-
graph in regard their business and because they
do not generally care to have all their plans re-
vealed to their rivals or opponents they seal the
letters that are transmitted by post and introduce
various CIPHER devices into their dispatches which
are seen and heard by many persons besides those
who send and receive them, and copies OF
which are kept beyond the control of those
most directly interested in them. IL Is
mt therefore, a suspicious circumstance TO
find kilograms in cipher passing between proml-
nent Republican politicians III 1876, nor is 1t any
more remarkable that they should feel an aversion
70 having unfriendly persons hauling over and
reading such dispatches than that they should
obiect to a similar examination of their private or
political letters.
There is not a member of the Potter Committee
who would like to have his political opponents IN
his district turned loose among his private cores
pondence with political friends and supporters dur
ing heated campaign, and such an objection would
be no proof that that respondence would disclose
ANYTHING dlshOnOrabe improper. When there
fore the members of the Potter Committee attempt
by cunningy framed questions and incidental re-
marks, as Mr.. McMahon did yesterday and to-day,
TO make it appear that the simple fact that cipher
words or phrases were used when active Repub-
leans were corresponding with each other by
telegraph, is prima facie evidence of fraudulent
intent, they take a position that cannot be sus-
taned Letters and kilograms must be judged by
Their contents after they have been Interpreted,
and by the circumstances under which they were
sent and received and by that rule the Repub-
hcans who managed things IN the Fall OF 1876 are
wiling that their teegraphIc correspondence shall
be judged.
The Democrats do not seem as anxious to stand or
fall with the Interpretation that has been given to
their cipher dispatches. as do Mr. William E. Chand
Ter and Generals Brady and Tyner, nor have they
shown the same willingness to produce the missing
messages of which there were undoubtedly many
relating to their proceedings in the disputed States.
IL. Al Viii
instituted for the purpose of dsgracng the Repub-
can party and clouding the title of the President,
Will be to convince all far-mindcd people that the
Republicans who managed things during the
last Presidential campaign secured the results
they did by honest and honorable means No traces of
money payment darkly or otherwise visible, are
anywhere to be found among all their proceedings;
and every trail upon which the Democrats have set
out hoping that 1t might lead to Republican cOrrup-
ton has ended as it did to-day, in completely vim
dicating the Republicans whom 1t was expected to
damage and has gone to help make up a public
opinion favorable to the Republicans.
The dispatches produced to-day by Generals Tyner
and Brady, and interpreted by them, turned
out to be of the most innocent kind.
Those OF General Brady simply reported the progress
Of events in Florida, and several times informed
Mr.. Tyner that " admiral allows aims which
meant that the vote Of Florida would he cast for
Hayes. One dispatch in transpositIon cipher
made some reference to General BarlOw's suspected
treachery to the cause he went Florida TO repre-
sent.
General Tyncr's teleg1ams were explained in THE
TRIBUNE of yesterday. those which passed be-
tween him and Mr.. Foster related to funds for the
legitimate expenses of the election in October
1876, and those between him and Mr.. Z. Chandler
fo f,r fba al.e Of NnV tlor ,f th,
year. The reading of the dispatches to-
day showed how natural it was for the Off
cials of the Western Union Telegraph Company to
suppose that they had discovered bad case Of cor
TupuOn; but the collapse of this bubble ought to be
warning TO all other witness = not 10 testify too
positively about the contents OF papers they have
not seen IN two years.
If Mr.. TyneT had not fortunately preserved his
dispatches he would certainly have been convicted
by the majority Of the Potter Committee with Nlr.
H. Chandler, of having used Government funds for
tanly looked, when the telegraph Ofli-
Sals closed their testimony, and before Mr..
hcttouS names had been placed on the rolls of the
interior Department, IN order that the salary cor
responding TO the positions might be drawn from
The Treasury and sent to Indiana; and although
hoth the gentlemen concerned might have sworn
most positively TO the story Mr.. Iyner has now
19ld the gathering, mp OF the DISPATCHES by MIR.
Iyner would have been such a suspicious ciIcum-
stance If they had not been produced that
some Republicans even would have been III
tloubt about the transaction AS IL is, everything
has Deen explained and not single point IS left
UPON which the Democrats can hang even suspi-
cO0 TWAS agreed on all sides that the dispatches
P'pduced by Mr.. IVncr to-day were the same TO
winch the officials of the Western Union Telegraph
company referred in their testimony on Monday.
HE committee still hesitates TO go TO the marrow
o. the cipher business and az the rate at>which it
now proceeding II will hardly call the cOparce-
nerS to testify until very late in the session and
pr Reed and Mr. Potter arranged that they should
" excused TOm further attendance.
THE NARRATIVE OF TIE WITNESSES.
IIII ND ny