New-York tribune., 1879-09-29
IMMORAL AUDACITY.

One of the passages from Mr. Tiklen's re-
cent interview, cited by Mr. Cyrus VS. leld
Is likely TO be a theme of considerable discus
sion during the next twelve months. The ex-
Governor is amazed at the immoral auda-
city, OF the man who says that in lis exam
inatiOn before the Potter Committee ne
admitted that he knew all about the cipher
dispatches previous to the month OF June,
1877 81 testified before that Committee"
continues Mr.. Tiden, that | never knew OF
" the existence or contents of any OF the
cipher dispatches until their publication IN
September, 1878" This is very pretty
niece of verbal fencing, and it is unnecessary
to remark that in such an exercise Mr.. l1lden
is much more than a match for MIR. Field.
The question in dispute was whether Mr.
Tildcn, in recommending Colonel Peiton as an
upright and trustworthy person to the direc-
tors of the Elevated Railroad Company In
1877, was aware of his nephew's dshonoia-
bic attempt to purchase the South Carolina
Returning Board in 1876. Mr.. Field declares
that he was aware of il; Mr.. Tiden meets the
accusation by sOlemnly affirming that he
"never knew of the existence or contents OF
"the cipher dispatches" until they were pub
lished by The TRIBUNE in 1873. This Is an
answer 90 the words in which Mr.. Field in
cautiously expressed ms charge. but it does
not touch the essence of the charge ITSELF
Mr. Tilden did not admit that he knew Of-the
existence or contents of the dispatches; he
did admit that he knew Of the transaction to
which the dispatches related. 1t has always
been we'll understood that the ciphers were
kept from his eyes, and that he remained Os-
of Io tarts of
hundreds Of telegrams sent to and from bis
address during the critical days of the count.
Whether he really cOmprehended what was
going on is Il matter respecting which opin-
ions differ, but nobody cares to dispute his
assertion that he was ignorant of " the exist
"ence or contents of the cipher dispatches"
1t would have been dreadful blunder to
show him the correspondence and Messrs.
Pelton. Weed, Marble, Woolley, Coyle, and
the rest, knew their business.
The testimony of Messrs. Pelton and Cooper,
and of Mr. Tilden himself, showed that Gov
ernor Tilden WAS made acquainted with the
Columbia negotiations at the time of Colonel
Peltons futile dalliance" with Weed and
Hardy Solomon in Baltimore The investlga-
ton also made it clear that this transaction
did not impair Mr.. Iildens confidence in his
nephew. Not only was Colonel Pelton subse-
ouentlv recommended to Mr.. Field as a most
honorable and high-toned man, but he contin-
ucd to be trusted with the management of the
political fortunes of the Democratic claimant,
and especially with the supervision of the
confidential operations of Marble and WOOlley
in Florida, and of Patrick in Oregon The
severity of the rebuke administered to him for
futile daliance" in Columbia may be in
without loss of time to daily" in
Tallahassee and Salem, and to send a
new purchasing agent into South Caro-
lima. with instructions to buy up the Leg
islature. Mr.. Weed was censured for his
share in the crime by being associated
with Colonel Pelton in the management of
the second South Carolina plot, and after
ward placed in charge of Mr.. Tilden's state
campaigns. Indeed, there are few things more
beautiful in political history than the conf
dence which Mr.. 1iden continued to repose
In these men after he found out what they
had been dOing,-Or the gentleness with
which he let them drop when he discovered
that other people had found it out too.
In the face of all these familiar facts, the
spectacle of Mr.. Tiden wondering at the
"immoral audacity" of a man who says he
knew about the dispatches. when he did not
know about the dispatches, but only knew
what was in them, is something TO admire and
quibble was ever made with so grand an air