Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1886 — A MEMORY OF 1876. [ARTICLE]

A MEMORY OF 1876.

4 New Orleans Story About the Celebrated Returning Board. [New Orleans dispatch.; The City Item publishes au interview with a gentleman of this city, whose name it declines to give, but who is understood to be an official of the Jefferson Gas Company and a man of wealth, relative to the story recently published of the attempt made-to purchase the celebrated Returning 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 New Orleans fiom New York City, and, after remaining at the St. Charles Hotel for several days, called on this gentleman and presented him letters from friends in the North. They saidj that* there was no doubt but Louisiana had been carried for Tilden and Hendricks, but would be counted otherwise unless the returning board could be influenced. Knowing Anderson, and Casanave person- ... ally, he bad been chosen to make the negotiations. Gen. Anderson was • visited by him and offered $300,000 to return the State for Tilden. Ho 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 fortune to him. Every inducement is held out, but ho still remained firm. After the vote ot tho State was announced Tor Hayes and Wheeler this gentleman was again selected to approach the electors and find whether any one of them would change bis vote. Anderson, who was an elector, refused, but another member of the Electoral College agreed to vote for Tilden and Hendricks, naming bis price at $50,000, which was promised him. When, however, he found out that Anderson had been approached on this subject, and had refused the offer, and that as be would be the only elector voting for Tilden, he became frightened and backed down. If Gen. An- i derson had yielded there would have been little trouble, this gentleman says, in ar- . ranging with the other members of the board,.except Wells, but they feared to. act without Anderson.