Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-09-14
BRADLEY'S BASENESS.
How He Succumbed TO the Orders OF
Jay Gould and Tom Scott,
aud Gave
The Presidency to Hayes, which He
Told Judge Jere Black Belonged
10 Tilden.

contributor TO the Philadelphia Sunday
Mercury gives the following doubtful story
of the Hayes-Tilden contest
/ was boxing the political compass the
other day with an old Washington man,
who, from his close association with ma
tional party leaders, is quite familiar with
the secret history of the capital for the last
ten years and more, when we fell afoul of
that grand old man," Jere Black OF York
at may be strange thing for me to say"
remarked my companion, but do you know
that Judge Black was the innocent cause of
the Democratic party losing Tilden Tor it's
President in 1852"
81 presumed that honor belonged to Justice
Bradley, of New jersey" was my response.
"Justice Bradley was all right a. first, but
let nae tell you how he came to be all wrong.
] don't think the story has ever been printed,
and as it is history and can be verified, it is
of peculiar interest. Judge Black, as you
know, appeared in the Florida case on the
part of the Tilden electors, and managed his
side with ponderous ability and colossal sa
gacity, Tor which he is 30 widely and justly
famed. You know, likewise, that Justice
Bradley was the fellow they were all afraid
Of On him depended the decision. He
held power which no other man had ever
possessed before in the history of this nation,
and let up pray no other man will ever
again hold. 1t was his province TO indi-
vidually name the president of the United
States. 1t was at him the learned law
yers talked. 1t was upon him that Re-
publicsns and Democrats alike cast
their wistful eyes Well, the case closed.
Now, there had always been an afinity y
between Bradley and Black. They were sort
of chums. The justice was great sdmirer
OF the old Encouragement and accepted
him as an authority on knotty problems of
law. After he had written out his decision
he called Judge Black into his room at the
capitol and read Ii to him. Their intimacy
was as close that. The decision was in
favor OF the Tilden electors. It settled the
hash of Hayes and gave Tilden his own.
Judge Black was wild with delight at the
result, and started down Pennsylvania ave-
nue.. On his way he met two or three prom
inent Democrats, and the news being so big
and so good, he couldn't keep it. We've won
the case. Tilden is president. Bradley is
all right were the remarks of old Jere. In
an hour the joyful ;idings were distributed
pretty largely IN Democratic circles. 1t was
even telegraphed to influential Democrats
throughout the Union. In course of the dis
semination of the news it unfortunately fell
into the hands of the enemy. II paralyzed
'em. An Investigation traced the story di-
rectly to Black. Steps were Immediately
taken to counteract it, as the decision was 10
be announced the following day. The Re
puDilc2n leaders met tue Issue squdIely. II
was known that Bradley had boss, and
that his name was Tom Scott. Ii was to his
influence he was indebted for his seat on the
Supreme Bench. This had been given him
partly as a reward for his services to the Old
Camden and Amboy railroad monopoly in
New Jersey. Tom Scott and Jay Gould were
telegraphed for. They FASTENED to Wash
ington on a special train, reaching the capt.
tai late at night. Repairing TO the residence
of Justice Bradley, they read the riot act to
him. The result of their secret midnight in
terview was that the pliable justice submit
ted the Hayes for the TIlden electors, and so
the great crime of the century was consum-
mated. The decision he read the next morn
ing was substantially the same he had read
TO Jere Black in his little room at the CAPT.
tol, with the names OF the electors changed.
But if there was an angry man in Washing
ton, that man was old Jere Black, although
he hadH't the slightest conception that he ii
was who was responsible for the mischief"