Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-10-22
TINE EEBoroBAL colMmIssroN.
General Grnnt Expected Justice 10
be Done 20 MIR. Tilden.

| From an Interview with George w. Childs
He was staying with me in Philadelphia
during the canvass Of the election between
Tilden and Hayes, and on the morning OF
the momentous day after the election, when
the returns gave 1ilden majority OF all
the electors, he accompanied me to my
Office. In few moments an eminent Re-
publican senator and one or two other lend
ing Republicans walked in, and they went
over the returns. These leaders, notwith-
standing the returns, said, Hayes iselected," ("
! an opinion In which the others coincided,
General Grant listsned to them but said
nothing. After they had settled the matter
In their own minds he said: Gentlemen, 1t
looks TO me as II Mr.. Tflden was elected. !"
He afterwards sent for me in Washington
and said, "This matter is very complicated,
and the people will not be satisfied unless
something is done In regard to ii which will
look like Justice. Now" he continued, 81
have spoke Of an electoral commission, and
the leaders of the party are opposed to it,
which am sorry to see. They say that IL
an electoral commission Is appointed you
might as well count in Mr.. Tilden. would
sooner have Tilden than that the Republi-
cans should have President who could be
sttgmatized as fraud. If were MIR. Hayes
would not have 1t unless 1t was settled in
some way outside of the Senate This mat
ter is opposed by the leading Republicans
In the House and Senate and throughout
the country"
President Grant invited the leading Re-
publican senators to dine with him to meet
me that day and to get their sentiment. He
said to me, You see the feeling here. ]
1nd them almost universally opposed to
anything like an Electoral Commission" /
named leading Democrat In the House,
who was, perhaps, one of the most promi-
nent men in the country, q man of great in
fiuence and OF great integrity of character,
whom 1t would be well for General Grant to
see In the matter, and the suggestion was
acted on. sent for this gentleman to
come to the White House and put the
dilemma to him in President Grants name
as follows: 1t is very hard for the Presi-
dent and very embarrassing as to mon
on his own side that this matter does
not seem to find favor with them us well us
to have Democratic opposition. Republi-
cans think you might us well count Tilden
i'll, but as tho feeling throughout the
country demands as honest a count of the
thing as possible, this Electoral Commission
ought to be appointed.
The answer at once was that the Demo-
Gratis would favor it, and IL was through
that gentleman and General Grant that the
matter was carried through. Grant was the
originator of the plan. He sent for Mr..
Conkling and said, with deep earnestness:
This matter is serious one, and the peo-
pie feel it very deeply. think this Elec-
toral Commission ought to be appointed"
Conkling answered: "Mr. President, Sena-
tor Morton (who was then the acknowledged
leader of the Senate) is opposed to it and
opposed to your efforts; but il you.wish the
Commission garfield can do It," He said 81
wish it DONE" MIR. Conkling took hold of
the mltter and put it through. The leading
Democrat have spoken oil took the initia-
tiv' in the House, and MIR. Conkling In the
Seithto. General Patterson of Philadelphia,
who was ai, intimate friend of General
'ir'ks"ii aud u lile-long Democrat, was also
-ehl T"r lilo had large estates in the south
md IL great deal of influence with tho
democrats, and particularly with southern
Democrats. General Patterson then was
upwards of 30, but he came down there and
remained one or two weeks with General
Grant,. working hard to accomplish the
purpose in view. After tho bill had passed
and was waiting for signature, General
Grant went to state fair in Maryland the
day 1t should have been signed, and there
was much perturbation about it,
was telegraphed by those interested
that General Grant was absent, and they
were anxious about the signing. replied
they might consider the matter as good as
signed, and the general came back at night
and put his name to the document. Just
before General Grant started on his Journey
around the world he was spending some
days with me, and at dinner, with Mr.. A. j ,
Drexel, Colonel A. X. Mcclure and myself,
General Grant reviewed the contest for the
creation of the Electoral Commission and
the contest before and in the commission,
very fully and with rare candor, and the
chief significance of his view was In the
fact, as he stated It, that he expected from
the beginning until the final judgment that
the electoral vote of Louisiana would be
awarded to Tilden. He spoke of South
Carolina and Oregon as justly belonging
to Hayes; of Florida as reasonably doubt
ful, and OF Louisiana as for Tilden.