Daily Kennebec journal., 1879-02-12

preparing the ScapegOat fOr lne WllueTHteS'
are accommodating proof that Pelton's conduct
especially in regard to money matters, had
been such that no confidence could be placed
in his integrity, and these doings were best
known to Governor Tilden, who had suffered
by them. Yet at a most critical and delicate
time, when ''the air was full of rumors OF
corruption," as Mr. Tilden himself testifcs'
he did suffer Pelton to conduct the conhden-
tial communication between New ork ana
/ the democratic agents at the South. lie
1 knew that corrupt proposals must reach such
a man. A word from him to Mr. Hewitt Mr..
! Cooper. or Mr.. Pelton himself. would have
! stopped such communication, and caused all
proper agents of the party at the South to he
warned to communicate only with Mr.. Hewitt.
If he had ever said. "PeltOn is indiscreet,
and may make scandal, or "Pelton is cor
rupt. and may buy or promise 10 buy" there
would have been an end. Mr.. Tilden admits
and the world knows, that he did not speak
that word. Why not?
IL. Mr.. Tilden knew Weed, Wooley Coyle
and Marble. He had seen under the veneer
ing, and knew Marble for the Joseph Surface
of the age He had been the chairman of
the democratic State Committee in 1868, and
necessarily knew of Mr.. Wooley's part in the
Impeachment of johnson. He had been Gov
ernor. and necessarily knew the proclivitics
of the most skilled lobbyist at Albany. 1t
was his duty to know whether such men rep
resented the Democratic National Committee,
at the very points where corruption was most
probable
Ill. 1t is absolutely impossible that Sam
ucl j. 1ildcn was ignorant of all the cipher
telcgrams which came from the South. un-
less he made an effort to be ignorant. twas
his habit and his very nature to give eXtraor-
1;par,- attnntinn IN tbn details pf pOlltipnl
contests. If it is true that he did not get
constant reports from the men sent South. II
can only he because he suddenly made an eX-
traordinary effort to suppress natural anxiety
and impatiencc. and to put behind him the
habits of lifetime, in order not to know
who was telegraphing and what about. That
Colonel Pelton had been in charge of CORES
pondence not because he was trusted by the
Committee. but because he was thought to
represent Mr.. Tildcn, was of necessity known
to Mr.. Tlden from the angry attacks of den
ucratic papers upon the "3urcau of Nincom-
poops" II Mr.. Tilden did not find out what
his nephew was doing it was because he was
determined not to know.
" Confronted with the fact that Colonel
Ptlton had asked aid in crime from Mr..
Cooper. it was not possible for Mr.. Til
den To let the bargain go on without making
il hi> own in the eyes of Messrs. Cooper and
Hewitt. But when Pelton was recalled, why
did Mr.. Tilien ask no questions? He swears
''it was not necessary" Yet Pelton remained
as before in charge of telegraphic correspond
encc of the Committee. Mr.. Tilden, even
then, did not stop that nor try to stop it, nor
make the slightest effort to know what had
been done. or would be done during the weeks
that still remained. All this scandal proves
the falsily of the answer, lit was not nccessa-
ry" to ask. Had he asked at that time. No
vember n. and stopped the telegraphing, or
caused Mr.. Hewitt 10 see the kilograms, the
second job in South Carolina. and all the jobs
in Florida, Oregonand Louisiana, would have
been prevented. He did not ask nor utter a
word to prevent them. Why?
V. At that time, about November q, it
became known to Mr.. Tldcn what Smith
Weed had been doing. He now swears that
he 'took Weed to task for taking part
in ''such transactions" after Weeds
return. But after that the second job
in South Carolina was arranged by Weed
himself, by Telegram from New York.
After that and as late as December 1, the
extraordinary legal dispatch was sent to South
Carolina-"1mportant judgment on quo war
ranto be obtained Thursday. If order to de-
liver paper appurtenance to Office be disobeyed.
Immediately commit for contempt, or if the
righttul electors attempt the exercise of au-
thority by meeting, attach for contempt. Pre-
pare beforehand and enforce immediately
would be appropriate Would be humane to
imprison them separately during Wednesday.
All probably depends on your State. Verify.
the voice is Jacobs voice, but the hands are
the hands of Esau.'
VI. Mr.. Tilden claims that il was safe to
let Pclton alone because he could get no
Rnt this is nalnahly N Daltap
did get money to send to Oregon, and from
bank in which Mr.. Tildcn was especially well
known. There were hundreds of unscrupu-
lous democrats who have given larger sums
than Pelton needed for much smaller victo-
ries. If there were no others. there was John
Morrisey and the democratic gamblers who
had at stake over 81 l,200,000. Did Mr. Til
den reason, "Pelton will no longer dare to 60
TO Cooper, or to come to me; therefore
other money not by candidate or committee,
will be found. and shall know nothing about
its" Did he reflect, "Then | can prove that
denounced and stopped one attempt" If
that was not his reasoning, why did he never
inquire, interfere and stop Pcltons charge of
correspondence through his apparent repre-
sentation of Mr.. Tilden himself.
VII. After the act for which Mr.. Tilden
took Weed ''to task he retained that person
aH MS vi ioitcs III u Coli-
vention. After Marble had said that votes
were for sale in Florida, Mr.. Tilden took care
to ask no more, but continued on intimate
terms with him. After Pelton's journey to
Baltimore to meet Weed, and for more than
year after the full public exposure Of the
Oregon business, Pelton remained in Mr. Til
denis house. This treatment of men known
to be guilty will by the public be held concu-
.ive proof that Mr.. Tilden's profession of alb
solute and unswerving hostility to bribery is
not true He was hostile to any bribery that
could be traced to him, and particularly hos
tile to any bribery that was found out, and
destroyed his own prospects. No other form
of moral Indignation has been shown in his
conduct. But he virtually placed w. T. Pelton
in position where he was sure to have OPP
portunity to buy votes knowing well that he was
man who would buy votes if he could, and
that he could find the money in that position
he held Pelton by carefully refraining from
any word of natural caution or protest. and
he took extraordinary pains for weeks not to
find out anything about the use Pelton was
making of his peculiar powers. This is Mr..
Tilden's record, upon his own testimony.
What else will appear. when the dispatches
sent to G. w. Smith shall have been traced to
the person who actually received and opened
II ~