Maryland free press., 1863-01-30
ATTEMPT TO BRIBE A MEMBER
OF THE PENNSYLVANIA JEGIS-
LATURE.
Gen. Cameron's Operations to Effect his
Election to the u. s.. Senate!
To Tie Editors of The Patriot and Union !:

To Tie Editors of The Patriot and Union
As many rumors are aHoat in regard to GER
tain transactions which took place between
General Cameron and myself on several occa-
sions previous to the late election of United
States Senator, think it my duty to make a
plain, unvarnshed statement of the facts, SO
that there may be hereafter no misunderstand-
| ing or misrepresentation. Believing that
there would be attempts to bribe members in
order to defeat tho election of Democrat, L
conceived the project of putting myself in the
nay of the operators and trying how far thcT
were dispbfed to go in the matter Once con.
ceived, determined to act upon it, and COM
| municated my intention to several friends.-
The first Opportunity that offered l embraced
and here is the result:
had been to Philadelphia, and on my re-
turn, perhaps week or more before the cleo
ton, I met Mr.. wiz Biobst, of isburg,
with whom l was acquainted, at the PennsSl-
vania House, in Harrisburg, for the frat time
| this winter, and noticed some unusual ner-
vousness OF, his part, and from his conduct
| was soon led to suspect that his business at
Harrisburg was not of very public charac-
| ter. In the afternoon he came to me and asked
to see me privately, and VIC proceeded at once
to my room, where he very soon commenced
| disparaging the several prominent Democrat
ic candidates for United States Senator, and
| concluded by expressing his decided prefer
cnce for Gen. Simon Cameron. This, OF
hiS visit to the State Capital and to lie, and
at once asked him whether that was the OBJ
| icct of his visit. He said it was. In reply
to my question, whether General Cameron au-
tlrorized him to cop,e to me in this way, he
! said he MAS authorized by Cameron to see any
| Democrat of the House or Senate, and enter
! into the preliminary arrangements to secure
vote for Cameron. l then asked him in what
manner they expected to secure the election
of Cameron. He answeiGl, "by getting three
| Democrats to absent themselves on the day of
the election" l then asked him what they
would pay He said he was authorized by
! Cameron to offer SIS 900. l told hin the fig
ures were too low and desired him to tell me
who the other members were. This he reiu-
sed to do at the time, but would try and get
J permission of his principal to do so. lie then
! left, and returned in a short time, and SAID
! that General Cameron wanted to see me, per
| sonally, at his residence out of the city that
evening. l told him could not make the en-
gagemept but would answer him in one hour,
and if could get clear Of another engage
ment had made, would go with him In
the meantime l consulted with DR.. Farley, Of
the House of Representatives, my colleague,
to whom related the foregoing facts l then
saw Brobst again and told him l would GO
He told me he would have a carriage ready in
front of H"rr's Hotel at o'clock; that he was
authorized by Cameron to get a carriage at
any time. When the time arrived DR.. Eafloy
and myself walked down to Herr's and saw
the carriage and Brobst there. l then made
be best not to 60. Il deemed it prudent at
this state of the proceedings not to. manifest
too much eagerness, lest might defeat the
object in view) The next day he lBrobst)
called and said Cameron wanted to see me at
the State Capital Bank. l called, and Tss
ushered into back room of the bank, and
found Cameron there alone. He addressed
me as follows -"Boyer, do you think yon
could have couragee enough to vote for mel"
| answ cred that it was a very business-like
question, and that it would depend very much
on circumstances. He then said, "suppose
the circumstances are all right" l asked
him how he meant "all right" He answered,
''ths financial consideration in short, the
dollars and cents" l answered him, seer
tainly.' He then asked me what | would
take. l told him / had not been in this busi-
0css long, and did not know exactly how to
4! answer, but wished him to natGe the SUM-
He asked what thought of $40 600, fright
down, after the work was done' then ask
ed him, whether he wanted vote or an alb
sentec. lie answered, "a vote,' and that is
would be very troublesome to get the meh
away; and besides he only regarded the mon
ey paid as the first iistalment, and that he
felt in duty bound to take care of the person
that made him Senator afterwards, and, If he
had SO many to take care of, it would embar-
rass him, but if he had but one he could do it
wctl and psotitably as tbng as we lived and
said besides, there would be no more danger
in voting directly for him than in being aE-
sent, for they would make every provision for
the protection of the man that would vote for
him. This ended the interview, and we a
greed to meet again to fix the compensation.
The next day he sent Brobst for me. de-
clin6I going to see him, but agreed to see him
at my room, No. IS Pennsylvania House =
Mr.. Brobst, who was still, up to this time, fig
uring for Simon, vent after him, and in less
than twenty minutes returned with him.
Cameron then said, "Well, let's come to an
understanding. l said, "What for ~ He
answered, "In reference to the Senatorial
question" l then said, 81 must have $l5,7
O00." He said, 81 will give it," and wanted
to know who I would prefer to arrange further
interviews ard do the inanciering of the bus
mess. told hin my limited knowledge Of
his friends did not enable Inc to name thai
person. He then proposed Jim Burns. L
said he would do. He then left, stating that
he was going to PHILADELPHIA. to arrange anot!l:
er matter which he had in view, and would
return on Saturday evening. This was on
Wednesday.
On Thursday l met John J. Patterson
lie deeifed to see me, and asked Inc to call 81
hfx room at Herr's Hotel. When met hii!i
asked him where Burns was He told me
he was sick. He then said, "Boyer, the NOV.
CIV will be all right" l asked hin, "what
money!" He then said, ooh, L know all
about it; Isaw Cameron" l must not forget
to state here that, prior to my meet ting Patter
son, Brobst told ME Patterson wanted to- sec
me on that business.N and by Cameron's ar
rangcmcnt, he would go down liz tie cars on
Lebanon Valley road on Friday at 2 O'Clock
and that we would so together and settle the
entire affair.
We met according to arrangement, and, ii
! the baggage apartment of the New York ear
concluded the Bargain for 100000 Cor q vote
for Ge,ieral Simon Cameron for tho office o
U. S. Senator, with the agreement that nc
other member should be bought, and that this
should end the matter-provided Cameron
would agree to the terms, and deposit the mon
ey in tho hands of Patterson, to be paid to ~!
Immediately after the election was over, ati'
that the two members with whom Patterson
said Cameron was also in treaty. who were il
/ the cars on their way to Philadelphia, shoul'
g return on Saturday We considered the fac
that, if they were sent off, the House woul
not go into an election, and our agreemcn
l could not be consummated This statemen