New-York tribune., 1906-11-14

larged upon and exploited 10 Republican dls-
credit The Democrats were as Mr.. Haworth
says. lifting up sanetimonious eyes to heaven
and thanking God that they were not as these
wicked Republicans" The Republicans were
largely depressed and fearful lest the devious
doings of carpet baggers'' IN the South should
be so exposed as TO brand the late election with
dishonesty. It seemed not only possible. but
increasingly probable that the persistent cry OF
Fraud would have Its effect, that Tnden
would be renominated in 1880. and that he
would then be elected.
Then something happened On August Ii The
Tribune printed number Of Mr Manton
Marbles cipher dispatches" as yet without
translation but with some caustic suggestions
concerning the propriety OF such correspond
ence by the man who had been talking about
the lark and shechinah OF self government and
"arsenals of ammunition and lethal weapons
to the hand OF every hater of fraud II was
also shown that these mysterious dispatches
were addressed. not indeed, to Mr. Thden hl1n-
self but TO his nephew, Colonel Pelton at MI
Tnden's own home A few days later more dls-
patches were printed. including some from some
anonymous person in New York to Mr. Marble,
and all strongly suggesting attempt TO use
"abhorrent and forbidden forces" These and
other such publications IN The Tribune IN
stantly attracted attention all over the land
Democrats were seriously disquieted, Repubh-
cans became hopeful. and general curiosity
was piqued to see what spicy revelations ~ouIo
come next. On September The Tribune pun
ushed & large number Of cipher dispatches re-
latng 70 the Oregon case. with complete trans
lstions conclusivey demonstrating that either
Mr.. Tilden himself his relative. his closest
friends and most trusted political agents. had
attempted TO purchase for cash conclusive
title" TO the Presidency. Thus Patrick the De-
rnocratic agent In Oregon, telegraphed 10 Colonei
Pelton at Mr. TiIden's house VIII take So.VOO
for Reuublican elector" Other dispatches were
published at Intervals relating to the other us
puted states and involving many OF the nos'
prominent Democrats Of the country
F4naIly. on october Z. The Tribune printed an
! elaborate account OF the manner in wnlch tho
! dispatches had been deciphered, together VIII
complete keys and vocabularies TO the oliIeIeii'
| systems used enabling any reader to verify
! the work of Hassard and Grosvenor. The wnoIe
| Intricate and ingenious business was exposed
/ with the romantic interest Of a Poe. and WIN
+he rernorseless and inexorable logic or math-
/ enaaticaI demonstration The result was electric
! and overwhelming. Those Democrats VINO a'
! first had affected to deny or 10 doubt the au-
/ thenticity OF the dispatches or the accuracy
/ of their translation we're conroundeo anu
/ abashed beyond measure. AS Mr. Haworth just
! " saws. .'The publication OF the dispatches
!
/ rasd throughout the country; every one mar
veu.d ST the ingenuity Of the translators
/ Thousands Of people made Of the keys and
! tested The accuracy OF some OF the transla-
tons" Protests. explanations. snected mag
nation and what not else were all In vain. II
was made clear, beyond the shadow OF any
reasonable doubt, TO the American people that
beginning Immediately after the election OF
/ 1875 there had been a deliberate, elaborate ana
/ persistent attempt to purchase the PRESIDENCY
for cash by the bribery Of canvassing boards
returning officers, or electors, in all the four
States Of Oregon Florida, South Carolina. and
Louisiana; that these efforts had been made
| bv a number OF the foremost Democrats OF the
nation, especially including Mr Manton Marble
| who was Mr. Tilden's chief spokesman. ana
| Colonel E R. Pelton. who was Mr.. Tlden
| nephew and the sharer of his home and also
acting secretary Of the Democratic National
| Committee and that a large part of the worst
Of this corrupt bargaining was conducted from
Mr.. Tilden's own house and home That Mr.
Tiden himself devised or conducted the vii
famous campaign was not proved. but It was
shown that his own private cipher was used in
some of the correspondence and that he had
retained his confidence IN Pelton and had kept
him in a place Of power after some OF his cor
rupt attempts had been made known.
It was enough. Bonapartes "whif Of grape
was not more effective for scattering the Paris
mob than was The Tribune's publication Of the
cipher dispatches for covering the Democrats
With confusion, for silencing forever the fraud
cry. for making Mr.. Tuden's talk about 'po-
litical crime" and his quest for vindication the
| veriest byword and kissing, and for transform
ing the whole aspect Of national politics. After
/ that no rational man thought Of renomina ting
TiIden in 1880 or Of making the Democratic
campaign of that year upon the issue of 'un-
doing the wrong Of 1876" There was IT is true
| IN the Democratic platform Of 1880 perfunctory
denunciation OF the great fraud OF 1S76-17'
and the false count of the electoral vote Of two
states" and an expression Of faith that the peo-
ple would punish this crime in 1880" But il
. | rang hopelessly hollow. a mention Of cipher
! DISPATCHES" Moses Copenhagen" some
other Of the cryptogrammic jargon which The
Tribune had forced into that keen. bright sun
light Of publicity which the Democrats had Sc
fatuously invoked, was sufficient 70 sweep these
Pecksnifian phrases away in a cyclone o.
Homeric laughter Mr.. Tilden was not renom
mated. and the country elected by q handsome
majority a Republican who had been conspIcu
ousIv identified with the Electoral Commission
and with the seating OF President Hayes. TIL,
election Of 1880 was, indeed, punishment of th
crime of 1S76-'77," but It the crime which
the Democrats tried to commit and not the on
E which they falsely imputed 10 the Republicans
D That, then, was the salient feature OF tn
F4aves-TTlden contest: not that It was disputed
( election but that for the first time in America.
4 history an organized attempt was made to pur
chase the Presidency for cash. That is the feat
q ure Of it fol which it deserves to be most re
! rembered. The dispute was. in fact. probabl.
= only incidental to the attempt at purchase. I
:. the Democrats had not been so desperately striv
[ ing to purchase an electoral vote which they ha
q not secured at the polls, they would scarcel:
a ! have prolonged the dispute in Congress the.