New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-08
THArCLPHER REPORT.

The majority report concerning the cipher
DISPATCHES betrays the unscrupu.oL5 partl-
sanship which governed the action OF the
Committee from the first. Without the
slightest fragment of evidence that there ever
existed any dispatches Of an improper char
actcr between Republican managers, and not
even pretending that any such evidence ~as
heard or offered, the Committee, nevertheless,
labors heavily to create the belief that there
must have been such dispatches. Absolutely
the only reason given for that belief Is the
fact that it was possible for persons con-
nectcd with Senator Morton's Committee to
abs .ract damaging Republican dispatches, if
there had been any. Reduced 10 lis simplest
terms, the logic is this: The Morton Com
mittce had power to suppress Republica"
dispatches therefore, there must have
been damaging Republican dispatches. aud as
those discovered are innocent, the dam
aging ones must haze been stolen. The common
sense and common fairness Of The country
viii pronounce this reasoning unjust. Yet
this same Committee, after thus strain
ing itself to set up unfair infer
cnces against Republicans. those in
fcrences being based solely upon the entire
want OF tNitltiiF ~ walnut SH'Ih' ptO''NhS
10 conclude that Mr.. IIlden is clearly vindi-
Gated, because mo witness has appeared t0
Establish that his name had not become
"sociated with these transactions (the at
"tempted bribery Of hOards) through the
"mIstaken zeal of his followers and friends,
"and withou, authority on his part" In
short, because there was no witness to swear
that Mr.. 1ldcn was guilty, therefore ne &
innocent, no matter how strong the circum
stantia evidence; but because there was
neither any witness nor any other evidence to
warrant a belief that Republican leaders were
guilty. therefore they must Lave been guilty,
first of crime, and then of stealing the proofs.
Not thus will honest men aud plain people
of either party reason. The evidence against
Mr.. Tldcn is overwhelmingly strong, because
it consists of his own testimony and the ad-
mitted acts of his most intimate associates
The fact that he denies and they deny that
he had any knowledge Of their criminal acts,
is Of course to be fully considered also. Can
did and honorable men will weigh carefully
both the denlals which Mr. Tilden would GER
tainly have made whether guilty or not, and
would a certainly have been able to induce
his associates to make, and the extraordinary
acts and long-cOutinued conduct which rem
dered such denais necessary. The Committee,
has placed great stress upon the denias
in It's report, but has carefully suppressed
all mention of the facts, confessed 10y Mr.
Tldcn himself, OF established by the evidence.
which had previously placed a candidate for
the Presidency in the position of prisoner
at The bar to plead guilty or not guilty. Positive
dcuials by leading Republicans were sup
pressed, and every point strained to create
presumption against them. But all the proof
against Mr. Tden was suppressed, and his
positive deniai, were paraded as conclusive.
Candid and honest voters will give to the
denial all the weight to which plea of mot
guilty" is entitled, but they will also ask
themselves:
Bhy did Mr. Tildeu permit Mr.. Pelton,
known TO him rs an unscrupuloua and corrupt
man, TO become confidential secretary and vir-
tnal manager of the Executive Committee in a
Reform " campaign
Why did lie leave TO that same Pelton all the
correspondence md direction after the cleo