The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-08-14

senate, a republican. This resulted In the
appointment OF the electoral commission,
TO which, on the refusal of Justice David
Davis to act, the appointment OF Mr.. JUS
tlce Bradley followed. The question
whether Mr.. Tilden was favorable 10 the
scheme or not at the time was not clear,
and has been the subject of much Contro-
versy since. II was learned some months
afterward that he had strenuously opposed
the adoption Of the extra unconstitutional
scheme recommended by the joint COM
mittee, and that he had told some of the
democratic leaders that he might lose the
presidency but that he would not rattle
for II.
The proceedings of the electoral COM
mission are common history. The majority
of republicans, the 8 To I votes, decided not
to 90 back of the returns In the case OF
Louisiana and Florida, but In the case OF
Oregon, where the governor had falsely
certified the election of one democratic
elector, the commission took the opposite
course, and going back of the seal Of the
governor gave the vote to the person to
whom 1t belonged When this result was
reached the democrats resolved to defeat
the counting of the vote by filibustering
duce an interregnum. This resort would
have succeeded had not the republican
leaders resolved on offering very taking
bride to the southern democrats. The Gel
ebrated conference at Wormley's took
place, at which 1t was agreed that for the
withdrawal of troops and surrender of the
governments of Louisiana, Florida, and
South Carolina to the people and the APP
pointment of asouthern democrat to Hayes
cabinet the southerners would abandon
their candidate, and by their help just be-
| fore the close of the congress Hayes was
declared the president elect of the United
States.
After Hayes had become president the
country was startled by an attempt TO prove,
by translation of numerous cipher tele.
grams, that Mr.. Tilden and his agents had
made attempts to bribe the members of the
returning board The cipher kilograms
were given up by the Western Union Tele.
graph Company in obedience to subpoena,
and pretended translation was given, by
which 1t was indicated that Mr.. Tilden had
been using money freely in an attempt to
secure favorable report. The alleged
translation was made by Mr.. Hassard of
the New York Tribune.
On the Sth of February, 1878, Mr.. Tilden
testified before the Potter committee as
follows:
Under no circumstances did I enter into
any combination for seeking certificates by
venal inducements. There never was an
hour or minute that entertained such
thought. To the people who as believe,
elected nae president Of the United States,
to the 100000 citizens who were defraud-
ed, owed II to proclaim that l yield ne
title of my right Whatever evils may re.
suit from this supervision of the electoral
system and of free government, l re-
solved that would enter into no auction
for the purchase of the chief magistracy. l
was resolved that would continue to pro-
test against wrong by which the people
were defrau2ed OF their rights"
Mr.. Tilden, during the two years follow.
Ing, expressed his opinion of the fraudu-
lent transactions of the electoral commits,
sion In severe language. In 1877 he trav-
eled few months in Europe in company
with Mr.. John Bigelow and was every
where received with distinguished consid-
Grafton.
The recurrence of the presidential con
vention in 1890 found in the country very
general desire to have Mr. Tilden renomi-
mated, but the experience of the Tammany
opposition In New York at the state cleo
ton, and the formal notice served that they
would not support him had its effect, as it
appeared imp' ssible to carry New York
with the party divided. The convention
and the country were vastly surprised by
the publication of letter from Mr.. Tilden
formally withdrawing his name from con
1N,,t hn lattn
was received generally by democrats with
regret. 1t was one of the shortest and yet
most eloquent political documents found in
the history of the American union. 1t con
tanned paragraph showing Mr.. Tilden's
position in relation to the electoral commits.
sion, and was the last communication which
he made to the public. The paragraph is
is as follows:
"By what nefariOus means the basis for
false count was laid in several of the
states need not recite. These are new
matters of history about which whatever i-
versity of opinion existed in either of the
great parties al the time OF their COnsum.
mutation has practically disappeared. | re,
fused to ransom frCm the returning boards
of the southern states the documentary ev-
idence by the suppression of which, and by
the substitution Of fraudulent and forged
papers, a preteXt was made for a false
count. The constitutional duty of the two
houses of congress to count the electoral
votes as cast and to give effect to the will
of the people rs expressed by their suf-
frages, was never fulfilled. The electoral
commission, for the existence of which |
have no responsibility, was formed, and to
it the two houses Of congress abdiCated
their duty to make the count by law en-
acting that the count Of the commission
should stand as final unless overruled by
the concurrent action of the two houses.
Its false count was not overruled, owing TO
the completely of a republican senate with
the republican majority of the commits
sion"
Mr.. Tilden then, after referring TO the
fact that the success of the great electoral
conspiracy, raised Il new issue, Of which he
seemed to be the representative, and that
he had borne faithfully his full share of
labor and care in the public service, and
wearing the marks of its burdens, asked TO
be allowed to lay down the honors and
tolls of even quasi party leadership and TO
seek the repese of private life. In renounc-
ing denomination and reelection indis-
pensable to an effectual vindication of the
right of the people to elect their rulers VIC
lotaI in NV narSpp I bava apcnr5a1 l,pc