Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-01-28
N18.| ~ lTINN
Ohio 3tates1mam
[FrOm the Harrisburg Patriot &c Union, Jan. 29d.l
M OCCASIN TRAC Ks
Attempt to Bribe a Member Of the
Legislature!
ASTOUNDING DEVELOPMENTS,
Gen. CamerOn's Operations to Effect his
Election to the u. S. SenateI t
ABATEMENT OF THOs. JEFFERSON
BOYER, MEMBER OF ASSEMBLY
FROM CLEARFIELD COUNTY.

FhOm CLEAHFIELD COUNTY.
To the Editors of the Patriot and. Union
As many rumors are afoat In regard to Ger,
tain transactions which took place betweei
General Cameron and myself on several occa-
sions previous to the late election of Unitet
States Senator, l think II my duty TO mako :
plain, unvarnished statement of the facts. az
that there may be hereafter no misunderstand
Ing or misrepresentation. Believing that there
would be attempts to bribe members In order
to defeat the election of Democrat, con.
ceived the project of putting myself in the
way Of the operators and trying how far they
were disposed to 60 In tho matter. Once con.
coived, determined to oct upon t, and com.
municated my intention to several friends
The first opportunity that offered embraced
and here ls the result:
had been to Philadelphia, and on nv re-
turn, perhaps week or more before the cleo
tion, met Mr.. VIM. Brobst, of Lewisburg
with whom was acquainted, at the Pennsyl
vania House, In Harrisburg, for the first time
this winter, aud noticed some unusual nervous.
ness on bis part, and from his conduct was
soon led to suspect that his business at Harris.
burg was not Of Q very public character. In
the afternoon he came to me and asked TO see me
privately, and We proceeded at once to my room,
where he very soon commenced dispara Rine
the several prominent Democratic candidates
| Tor United States Senator, and concluded bv ex-
pressing his decided preference for Gen. Simon
Cameron. This, of course, left me no room TO
doubt the object Of his visit to the State CAPT
tal and to me, and | at once asked him whether
that was the object of his visit. He said it was.
IN reply to my question, whether Gen. Cameron
authorized him to come to me in this way, he
said he was authorized by Cameron to see any
Democrat of the House or Senate, and enter
into the preliminary arrangements to secure
vote for Cameron. then asked him In what
manner they expected to secure the election of
Cameron. He answered, "by getting three
Democrats TO absent themselves on the day Of
the election" | then asked him what thew
would pay. He said he was authorized by Cam.
efon to offer $4,000. I told him the figures
we're too low, and desired him to tell me who
the other members were. This he refased to
do at the time, but would try and get per,nis.
sion of his principal to do So He then LEFT.
and returned 10 short time, and said that
Gen. Caneson wanted TO see me, personally, at
hie residence out Of the city that evening. /
told bim could not make the engagement, but
would answer him in one hour, and if could
get clear OF another engagement l had made,
AWeote 81 HI bu6 mbaQklm6 L Cln-
suited with DR.. Farley, Of the House of Rem
resentatives, my colleague, to whom / related
the foregoing facts. l then cav Brobst again.
and told him Iwould 60. He told me he would
have carriage ready in front of Herr's Hotel
at seven O'Clock; that he was authorized bv
Cameron to get carriage at any time. When
the time arrived DR.. Farley and myself walked
down to Herr's and saw the carriage and
Brobst there. | then made come excuse IN
Brobst, and told him Il would be best not
TO 60. Il deemed 1t prudent at this
state of the proceedings not to manifest too
much eagerness, lest | might defeat the object
In view.) The next day he (Brobst) called
and said Cameron wanted to see me at the State
Capital Bank. l called, and was ushered into
back room Of the bank, and found Cameron
there alone. He addressed me as follogs:-
Boyer, do you think you could have courage
enough to vote for mel" answered that il
was very business-like question, and that It
would depend very much on circumstance ces.-
he then said "auppose the circumstances are
all right!" asked him how he meant call
right" He answered, "the financial consid
Grafton; IN short, the dollars and cents" 1
answered him, "certainly." He then asked
me what would take. / told him had mt
been in this business long, and did not know
exactly how to answer, but wished him to name
the sum. He asked what thought of $40 600.
fright down, after the work was DONE" then
asked him, whether he wanted vote or an
absentee. lie answered, "a vote" and that il
would be very troublesome to get the men
away, and besides he only regarded the money
paid as the first instalment and that he felt In
duty bound to take care of the person that made
him Senator afterward, and, If he had 40 |
many to take care of, it would embarrass him, |
but II he had but one he could do it well and !
proftably as long as we lived; and said be. |
sides, there would be no more danger In voting |
directly for him than In being absent, for they |
would make every provision for the protection |
Of the man that would vote for him. This ended |
the interview, and we agreed to meet again
to fx the compensation The next day he sent |
Brobst for me. ! declined going to see him
but agreed to see him at my room, No Is Penn
sylvania House. Mr.. Brobst, who was still, up |
to this time, figuring for Simon, went after him
and In Less than twenty minutes returned with |
him. Cameron then said, "Well, let's come 60 |
an understanding" / said, "What for2U He
"ln reference to the Senatorial uues- |
tion." then said, "lmust have SIS, ,OOO." He |
said, III will give it," and wanted to know who |
would prefer TO arrange further interviews
and do the huanciering CT the business. told |
him my limited knowledge of his friends did |
not enable me to name that person. He then |
proposed Jim Burns. / said he would do. He |
then left. stating that he was going to Phila-
delphia 10 arrange another matter which he had |
IN view, and would return on Saturday evening.
This was on Wednesday.
On Thursday ] Imet John ]. Patterson. He
desired to see me, and asked me TO call at his
room at Hers Hotel When met him, /
asked him where Burns was7 He told me he
was sick. He thef said, "Boyer, the money
will be all right" Iasked him, "What money9'
He then said, "oh, know all about it; / saw
q must not forget to state here
that, prior to my meeting Patterson, Brobst told
me Patterson wanted TO see me on that business,)
and, by Cameron's arrangement, he would 10
down in the cars on the Lebanon Valley road
on Friday ats o'clock, and that we would 20
together and settle the entire affair.
We met according to arrangement, and, In
the baggage apartment Of the New York car,
concluded the bargain for $4,000 for vote
for General Simon Cameron for the office OF u. Il
8. Senator, with the agreement that ho other-
member should be bought, and that this should
end the matter---provided Cameron would agree
TO the terms, and deposit the money In the
hands Of Patterson, TO be paid to me immedi-
ately after the election was over, and that the
two members (wit b whom Patterson said Cam