Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1886 — A MEMORY OF 1870. [ARTICLE]

A MEMORY OF 1870.

X Jfew Orleans Story About tlio Celebrated Returning Hoard. [New Orleans dispatch, i The City Item publishes an interview with a gentleman of this city, whose name it declines to give, but wffio is understood to be an official of the Jefferson Gas Company and a plan of wealth, relative to the story recently published of the attempt made to purchase the celebrated Iteturniug Board in 1876, and induce it not to count the vote of the State for Hayes and Wheeler. While she board was in session counting the vote three prominent politicians came down to N -w Orleans from New York City, and, after remaining at the St. Charles Hotel for several days, called on this gentleman and presented him letters from fr ends in the North. They said' that there was no doubt but Louisiana had been carried for Tilden and Hendricks, tyut would be counted otherwise unless the returning board could be influenced. Knowiug Anderson and Casanave personally, he had been chosen to make the negotiations. Gen. Anderson was visited by him and off' red $360,000 to return the State for Tiiden. He seemed highly offended, and said, most emphatically, that it was out of the question. Casanave was then visited and offered a smaller sum, but a large for.uue to him. Every inducement is held out, but he still remained firm. After the vote of the State was announced for Hayes and Wheeler this gentleman was again selected to approach the elect rs and find whether any one of them would change iis vote. Anderson, who was an elector, refus d, but another member of the Electoral College agreed to vote for Tilden and H ndneks, naming his price at $50,000, vtfhi.h was promised Lim. When, however, he to md out that had been approached on this subject, and had refused the offer, and that as he would be the only elector voting for Tilden, he became frightened and b teked down. If Gen. Anderson had yielded there would have been little trouble, this gentleman says, in arranging with the other members of the board, eve pt Wells, but they feared to act without Anderson.