New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-07
THE POLITICAL BATTLE.
u,NCocK,s DJsLoYALTY IN 1877.

II DINNER TrNDERED TO GENERAL ARihoh-
GRrENBACK MEN INDUCING IN EXTRAVAGANi
HoPEs-MINOR NEWS
General William +. Smith confirms the STATE
ment that General Hancock declared MS lhten'
ton in 1877 to obey the orders Oh MI. III
den, as President of the United States'
should that gentleman take the oath OF ONCE.
A nnmher of members Of the Union League
C,uh have rendered to General Arthur dim
ner at the house of the club. General Arthur
has been unable to accept for private reasons.
The Republicans of Alabama expect to carry
the Legislature of that State with the help OF
the Independents. The Executive C0mmittee
of the Greenback- Labor party met In TINS
rity Yesterday Mr.. Weaver, the candidate OF
the partv for President, said that he expects
TO carry several States in November.
HANCOCK AS A PRESIDENT-MAkER.
HIS DETERMINATION TO SUPPORT TILDEN IF HE
nan TAKEN TIE OATH OF oFFICE-GENERAL
sy,ra CONFIRMS THE STATEMENT PUBLISHED
CONCERNING THE MATTER.
General William f. Smith is not always an easy
man 10 find. A TRIBUNE reporter who Sought ninl
Yesterday morning at his old office was referred 10
his counsel Messrs Bartlett ~ Root, at NO. llo
Rroadway. Here he was directed to No. 156 Broad-
way. where the janitor thought 1t likely that he
vond he found at Police Headquarters. as " they
had taken the General in again." lie was not at
Police Headquarters, however. nor at the boreei
Rnildipr. another place to which the reporter was
d,rectod bnt was found in tie Office of the Globe
Mutual Life Insurance Company, No. % Nassau-st.
General The Boston Globe prints statement IN
which YOU are represented as impugning General
HancOck's loyalty"
THAT must be incorrect. Allow me to read H.
he replied The slip was handed to him by the re-
porter and carefully examined. 1t was as iollows'
"It will be remembered, says Mr.. Atkins Hiram
Atkins delegate 10 the it wos
claimed by the Republicans that Senator Ferry, OF
Michigan. the acting Vice-President, had rlgat 10
count the votes Independent OF the direction OF tbe
senate and House; that they should be mere spec
tators of the count. On the other hand, the Demo.
Gratis claimed that Congress alone bad the right OF
counting the votes, and the Nice-President could
only omen the envelopes. 1t was claimed by he,
publicans that General Grants term OF office d1d
not expire until new President should be luaugu-
rated. While these questions were penang, ana
prOr to mot after the establishment Of the Electo
raj Commission, General Hancock informed General
Sherman mot Sheridan) that 1t was que 10 MN
tShermanl to be apprIsed of what his General
Hancocksl position was In the matter. lie Inere-
fore would say that he considered that Mr.. lllden
had been elected President of the United states,
and General Grants term of office expired at MD
night on tine Sd of March that regardless OF any
thing Mr. Ferry might do II Congress declared % 1nat
Mr. Tildeu was elected President, he General HAN
cockl believed he had right to take the oath Of
Office wherever he might be and that If Mr. Iilde1
did take the oath OF office, and he should
receive any orders from Mr.. Tllden as
President of the United States, after mid
night on the Sd of March. ne should obey them benz
That is the story. During the process OF tee.
graphic transmission aud composition the name OF
Sherman was changed 10 Sheridan, and DIV some
means or other | was made to say that the letter
Was written after the decision, instead or before
The establishment Of tho Electoral COMMISSION;
General Hancock, like Mr; 1Iden and all
patriotic Americans, acQuiesced in the decision or
that tribunal unconstitutional as ii undoubtedly
was. As to the source whence obtaiaed the story,
il 10 SUCH that man can help giving 1t credence.
| first heard it at a dinner which gave at my
house in Montpelier last April 10 General William
F. smith (Old Baldy) and several other gentlemen,
and General Smith afrerward repeated II at w ater-
bury publicly in the presence OF oyer Sixty or the
prominent Democrats III the state"
is that correct Generalr' the reporter asked
when General Smith handed back the newspaper
slip.
'Yes, suppose it Is correct enough; but this
refers to Mr. Atkins, not to me-"
but he says that lie got the statement from you."
"Well. did mention something of the sort, l be-
liove."
"As recommendation Of General HancockW
''No not in that way at ALL We were simply
talking among ourselves about what had happened
in the past-about the fraud. and so on-and men-
toned this as fact i'll connection with the fraud.
have nothing further to say about it,"
docs Mr.. Atkins state substantially what you
said'7
"Oh, yes; that is correct"
"From whom did you obtain the informationT
That cannot tell yOu."
"But you made the statement publiclyW
81 might have alluded TO it publicly, but don't
think so. Anyway had not the slightest idea or
wish that it would be published. made the state
ment as / said when were talking among our
selves"
odd you state ii as a fact within your own
knowledge or a fact of which you had been IN
formed p
Il stated it as a fact. of course it is. 1t would
scarcely do for me to state something which was
not true. That is all intend to say about it,"
General Smith did not take his seat in the Police
Board Yesterday, and vaiuly expected at Police
Headquarters all day. The Commissioners did not
hold their usual Tuesday meeting. but Will hold
one this forenoon, and 1t is expected that General
Smith will then be present.