The Portland daily press., 1880-08-30
IN. Y. Tribune.l
The Great Fraud of 1876 Con-
timed

We have said that as soon as the result of
the election of 1876 was foreseen, the Demo-
cratic managers undertook three enterprises:
l. 10 bribe thescanvassers of Louisiana and
Florida to decide that q Returning Board
could not go behind the returns, but must
count the fraudulent votes as they stood. 2.
To bribe the canvassers of South Carolina to
decide that Returning Board mast go behind
the returns, so that the Hayes electors could be
counted out on the pretext of irregularities.
8. To bribe one of the Republican electors in
Oregon to join Cronin in setting up a mixed
electoral college. These transactions were
managed with a secrecy which would never
have been penetrated but for the unwilling of
the cipher dispatches and the subsequent con-
fession OF several of the guilty operators. The
chief agent selected for the Louisiana affair
seems to have been c. w. Woolley, of Ohio,
who is understood to have had experience in
vote-brokerage at the time of the impeach-
ment of President johnson. To Florida were
dispatched Manton Marble and John f. Coyle.
and Woolley afterward left New Orleans to
join them at Tallahassee. South Carolina was
intrusted to the practiced hands of Smith NJ
Weed. Oregon was committed to DR.. George
L. Miller, of Omaha, a member OF the National
Committee, and he sent as his deputy j. NJ
Patrick. These persons were supplied with
codes of cipher at the Democratic headquar-
ters in this city; various fictitious names were
assigned them; and three or four addresses
were appointed to which their kilograms
should be sent, the correspondence finding its
way through these different channels to
(0l0uQ1 Nv IT palfap uhn Afr
nephew, was recognized as sort of acting
secretary and confidential man of affairs at thu
~ery little Of the 0l1ls "a eUFlggSSS1sss
how many personsS were employed in that
State. Woolley left N-st ar eeylv STAGE. q the
proceedings, and Marble declared that he was
"a nuisance and impediment, trusted by no
body" The other chapters, however, in the
story of the attempt at bribery are quite clear.
The business opened in South Carolina whence
Smith Weed telegraphed, ON the very day of
his arrival at Columbia, 'If few dollars can
be placed in the Returning Board to insure,
what say you?" Later ON the same day he
asked, "If Returning Board can be procured
absolutely, will you deposit S30,OOO?" He an
nounced with perfect frankness that the "situ-
alton" was desperate" Tilden having run far
behind Hampton, and the Hayes electors hav-
ing a clear majority. He thought it would,
Florida and he added, "Nothing but money
will avail" Pelton replied, "The expense Of
what you do will be met" The next day, No
vember IA, Weed asked, "Shall I increase to
$4,000 If required, to make sure?" And Pei
ton Immediately answered, "You can go to
fifty If necessary; perhaps use future prospects
for some part" offering another suggestion in
subsequent telegram, ''Try and make one
portion payable after votes areacast and anoth-
or portion after final result" After various
delays Weed reported on the 18th, Board late
last night demanded S75, 600 for giving us two
or three electors; the interceder will want
something besides; think ten. What shall
do?" Pelton replied that he would accept if
success of Tilden in March," There was some
further negotiation, and at last Weed sent this
celebrated dispatch: Majority ofsBoard have
been secured Cost is $4,000, to be sent as
follows: One-parcel of $65 600, one of $4,000,
and one of 5000; all to be $500 or 81, 600 bills;
notes to be deposited as parties accept, and
given up upon vote Of South Carolina being
given to Tilden's friends" Then it was ar
ranged that Weed should 60 to Baltimore, and
''safe man." if possible Pelton himself,
should meet him there at Barnum's Hotel,
with the "stuff."
The Returning Board consisted of two white
men and three negroes, all Republicans, and it
would be necessary to secure three OF them.
1u6 lut6TC6u6T WlUu WHO'LL We6Q u6SOtldt6Q
was an ex-Republican, ex-banker, actual gro
Ger, named Hardy Solomon; and Solomon, on
receiving Weeds proposals, placed himself in
communication with one of the white members
of the Board Acknowledgement T. G. Dunn
with whom he had personal acquaintance.
Mr.. Dunn seems to have been disturbed at the
discovery that such large sums of money were
offered for votes; perhaps he was not sure of
the virtue of his colleagues; and he at once ex-
posed the plot to Governor Chamberlain. In
prda Or to troll fha off afr nnnta
the bargaining as much as possible (this ac-
counts for the delay which so tried Weeds
temper that he telegraphed to New York that
the members of the Board were call idiots''),
and every step in the negotiation was promptly
reported to the Republican Governor. Weed
went to Baltimore to get the money, taking
Hardy Solomon with him. AT Baltimore he
met Colonel Pelton, according to appointment.
But Pelton had not the ''stuff." On leaving
New York, Pelton had informed the Hon. Ed
ward Cooper, Treasurer Of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee, that he should need sum
OF money for political purposes and would tele-
graph for it the next day. He aid telegraph,
in cipher which Mr.. Cooper gave him, and
Mr.. Cooper showed the dispatch to Mr.. Tilden
and asked what he should do. Then Mr.. Til
den said he was very much displeased; and
that Pelton must be recalled. The WI hole party
Weed, Solomon and Pelton-came to New
York in the hope of raising the money here.
The Returning Board in the meantime had
been tied up with extraordinary iniunctions,
ETC., from tne notorious Chief Justice Moses of
the State Supreme Court, and prohibited from
declaring the result. At last, on the day its
existence must terminate by law mandamus
was prepared virtually commanding the Board
to certify the election Of Hampton legisla-
ture and Tilden electors. The Board was op-
portunely warned of this order, and before the
papers could be served it completed the count,
declared the result for Hayes, and adjourned
sine die. After this failure Weed remained at
headquarters and assisted Pelton in directing
he Florida campaign.