Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-02-14
aPOLI1TCS' IN HIGH PLACES.

aPOLIITCS" IN HIGH PLACES.
The examination of Gov. Tilden before
the Potter Committee. in the matter of |
the cipher kilograms. took place on Satur-
day last. These kilograms were published |
80 long ago that the memory may be re-
freshed by giving something of their his
tory. at that period Of intense political
excitement and suspense, between the
Presidential election and the final returns
of the Returning Boards Of Louisiana,
South Carolina and Florida, visiting
statesmen of both parties went from the
North to the scene of action. The partial
publication Of the kilograms sent to Zach
Chandler and W. E. Chandler long since
produced the general impression. uncon-
tradicted by anything save violent parti-
san denial, that the boards had negotiated
for the sale of the electoral votes OF their
States. Other examinations since have
fully proven this, besides giving names
and dates, and the list of Federal appoint
ments made since President Hayes as
sumed the office shows that not only the
members of the boards. but also those who
were acting with them at the eventful
period have been rewarded by Federal Of
fce.. The question then was who had
bought the boards, and not so much who
had tried to buy them and failed. But in
the past year as names for the Democratic
Presidential nomination have been COM
ing to the front the inquiry has become
more persistent, who were the unsuccess-
full bidders? When the investigation was
being pushed the Western Union Tele-
graph Company was ordered to produce
all kilograms of a political character sent
between certain dates in 1867. The COM
mittees Of both Houses demanded the
kilograms from the company. and
the committee of the Republican Senate
got them in possession first. through, it
is charged with an excellent show
of evidence, the connivance OF the then
President of the company, prominent
Republican. The kilograms were exam
ined and those likely to compromise the
Republican party were burned and those
like to damage Democrats preserved. This
was done by Geo. E.. Bullock, the messen-
ger of the committee, who has since been
appointed u. S. Consul to Cologne; that
being his reward. Senator Morton, now
deceased, was the chairman of that COM
mittee. These kilograms were translated
bv gentleman named Prof. Holden, for
the New York Tribune" and furnished
to that paper. Several of these kilograms
show conciusively that South Carolina
and Florida were in the market. They
were delivered at Mr.. Tilden's residence
and were addressed to his nephew, Col.
PeIton, some Of them so Worded as to make
the inference almost irresistible that while
thenephew only received themyet the uncle
must have known of them. 1t is also in con-
elusive proof that when the latter publish
eda card denying all knowledge of the ciph-
er kilograms, the denial was only technical
Nv sound, for he knew and had long been in
possession of the knowledge that Col. Pei
ton went to Baltimore to negotiate with
an agent to purchase one OF the boards and
that he. Tilden, had telegraphed him to
come back and refused his assent to any
transaction of that character.
The facts that may be taken as establish
ed by the evidence so far are that the
boar0s were for sale. that they were offer
ed to the Democrats, but the Democrats
though possessed of MIR. Tilden's ''barre'
of money! did not buy them: that no dis
tinct offer is traced directly to the knowl-
edge of Tllden except that of South Caro-
lima and that he positively forbid any ne
ootiation for it and rebuked his nephew
for entertaining 1t, and that finally the re-
turns were given to the Republicans and
that nearly every member OF theboards and
everybody assisting them have since beef
given Federal office in recognition OF their
personal fitness and party services. VI MI
Tilden's evidence we can only say that Ii
exhibits the most profound ignorance by
proverbially acuce politician OF what went
on around him IN the most exciting poiitlca
period in the history Of this county il
which he, himself was the centre figure,
that has yet come to the public knowl-
edge. The only similar case OF thorough
Indifference to storm we can reeollect
was when General Grants brother-in-law
Corbin, was operating on the famous
Black Friday in New York and the simpl'
General himself knew nothing about what
was going on.