The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-05-07
How Mr.. Tilden Was "Cheated.'

their faith, resolved "that the electoral
frauds of 1867, by which S. j. Tilden
and Thomas A--Hendricks were cheated
out of the offices OF President and Vice
President, to which they were fairly
elected, was the most deadly blow ever
aimed at our system of representative
Government"
Il is encouraging to see that the Dem
ocrats are keeping the history OF 1875
in mind. It ought to afford them much
food for profitable meditation. They
do not need, however, to waste their
penitential regrets over tho decision OF
the Electoral Commission OF their own
choosing, but should rather devote
their tears to washing out the stain that
MIR. Tilden or his personal and conh-
Dental friends in the party, brought
upon our system Of representative
Government by trying to bribe sun
dry officials so as to change the result
of the election.
Chairman Speer, of the Pennsylvania
convention, Chairman Mutcher OF the
Committee on Resolutions, and Con-
gressman Randall named by the con-
Vention as its choice Tor the Presidency,
are all politicians Of experience and are
supposed TO be blessed with tolerable
memories. They must al have lively
recollection Of ctrtaincyents which took
place in their councils in the latter part
OF 1875 and can, if they will, instruct
taeir less thoroughly informed brethren
how. about the Sth Of November in that
yea.r, as soon rs il Became known that
The Presidency depended upon the
count Of the vote OF two on three doubt
sui States. agents were sent out from
Mr. Tillon's residence, No. II Gramercy
Park, 10 South Carolina, Florida and
Louislana, and low others st the West
received to,egraphic orders to proceed
Immediately TO Oregon, to capture ono
e. all Of those St&,e5 ior as. j. .Tildcn
and Thos. A. Hendricks who, we are
now told bytheeo Democratic innocents
10 PENNSYLVANIA, "wero oheatca out Of
The Offices OF President and Vice Presi-
dent 20 which they were fairly elected" "
The swi.t-iootod messengers -plenipo-
iantiary began ;heir work with one ac-
cord by proposing schemes Of bribery,
and thev all communicated chiefly with
Tir. Tilden's nephew, Colonel w. T.
Ielion. who dwelt under the uncle's
roof and there received and sent, in the
course Of n month, several hundred tel
rgrams, mauy Of them in cipher, relat-
ing TO the purchase Of votes and the
corruption Of electors. This took place
h the house Of the gentleman who, ac-
)ording TO the Pennsylvania Democrats,
gas somehow in the process of being
Scheated.n
Mr.. Manton Marble, Mr.. c. w. Wood
Ley and Mr.. John f. Coyle went TO
florida, and soon afterward PROPOSE
ton in cipher came TO Mr.. Tilden's
house from Tallahassee for the pur-
chase of the Florida Returning Board
nt the price of S20O,0OO. Mr.. Tilden
seems even then to have been suspic-
Ions Of some attempt to cheat him, and
the offer was rejected as extrayagant.
Tho figure was afterward reduced to
100000, at which price Peiton signiiied
his willingness TO close the bargain. II
fell through, in consequence Of delay
In the receipt Of the message of accept.
ance, and this was the first Of tho series
Of transactions in which Mr.. Tilden was
Cheated"
The South Carolina agent was Mr.. s.
NJ. Weed. On the,day Of his arrival in
Columbia there. came telegram to Pei
ton suggesting the purchase of the Can
vassing Board ina round lot at $780,
900. This was low figure for the
goods, .andsseems to have been salts
factory att New York terminus oi
the cipher telegraph, but Mr.. Tilden
was reported TO have rolled out a big
bar'l at'St. Louis, and the South Caro-,
lima demand seems TO have been raised
gradually until, after negotiations run
ming through six days, the trade wa'
closed at $4,000. The money was tC
ibe delivered in Baltimore, and Weed
and Pelton met there on the goth Of No
vember; but again little too much dc
lay upset the scheme and Mr.. Tilder
was cheated" second time.
Afterwards there was a plot TO buy
four members of the South Carolini
Legislature for $50, 900, and having thu,
rot control OF the State Government, tC
put the Hayes Electors in jail until aft
or the day for casting the Electora
votes had passed. Tho four member
were not TO be had, however, and 81
Mr.. Tilden was cheated" again.
The secret agent in Oregon was J. N.
II. Patrick. The Democratic Governor
withheld q certificate from one of thu
Hayes Electors on the ground Of ineli
gibility, and instead Of allowing thu
other Electors TO fill the vacancy CAV,
acertifcate 10 Tilden Elector named
Cronin, who could not, however, holt
q meeting and cast the vote of the Stat,
an alone. An agent telegraphed II
Peiton that it was necessary TO ''pur
chase a Republican Elector to recognize
and act with" CronIn, and that 4
would cost eight thousand dollars to dc
it. The money was sent to Oregon
but arrived after the electoral vote haC
been cast, and thus Mr.. Tilden wa!
cheated" once more.
These transactions on the part Of th'
man whom the Democrats at Allentown
delight to speak OF as having beer
cheated" out OF the election, are a
well authenticated as any facts il
American political history. It is pass
Ding Strange, therefore that his owl
friends should insist on bringing tina
shameful story of "the most dead.
blow ever aimed at our system Of repre-
a -