New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-05

that the contributors W tho iunu "oio o"'''
men and not politicians; nor was the money TO DO
raised in tho interest of politicians 1 purposcly
kept from Mr. Tilden and Mr.. Hewitt all knowl-
edge Of my transactions.
WOULD SWEAR TO THH STORY.
aswould it be proper to publish this story Y you
ask You may print it. 1 Wonld prefer that you
do not msntion me as the purchasing agent or
your informant, bnt in case committee Of Con-
gress should make a, inquiry about it, you may
tell them to summon me and will swear to the
truth of every word have told you.
sYou don't suppose that the negotiations son
Quoted for the purchase OF the Louisiana Rctu ming
Board were the only ones that were going on at
tina, time do youi Oh no! Governor Kellogg was
also trying accom- lish the same thing LOT the
Republicans He was working through one Clarke.
a New-Orlean gambler, said at that time to De
Mr. Keloggs financial agent when he had such
work on hand"
Inever Published General Taylors story before
now. The circumstances under which it was toid
me precluded that at tho time, but noted down
from time to time bits of information that came 70
my knowledge which tended either to corroborate
or contradict It. For instance, fud In my note
book under the same date a. the above the follow
ing:
general Taylor's disclosures call to mind con-
| yersatiou which had at the st. Charles Hotel In
New-Orleans with Major Burke represen ting the
Democratic Conservative party. on the sunday
evening before the result of the vote In LOUISIANA
was deolared-the very night whom General Taylor
said that his negotiations fell through. The Major
said that he had positive evidence of negotiations
then pending between Clarke ann Charley Howard,
the manager of the Louisiana Lottery for the pnr-
chase Of the Returning Board in the interest OF the
Republican party. Certain dispatches which had
Narv-n rta had
fallen into the hands of the Democratic leaders, and
they had number OF detectives working the mat
ter up. The facts were disclosed to the visiting
committee of Northern Democrats. who were dis
posed to publish them Immediately; but when
some of the correspondents of prominent Northern
newspapers were consulted they advised that
nothing be printed about it until the money was
actually traced. This the Democratic managers
were never able to do
CORROBoRATING CIRCUMSTANCES - Mr. HEWITT
TALKS.
al also recall the circumstance that on that same
Sunday evening officer or director OF one or
the banks of New. Orleans told me that large sum
of money was 60 be transferred through the nstitu
ton with which he connected on Monday;
that Clarke and Howard in sOms way inter
ested in it, and that he suspected that it to be
used for political purposes. Isn't it probable that
General Taylors negotiations gave rise to all these
reports
My own opinion of Governor Wells of the Lou'si-
ana Returning 30 ,rd was we'll expressed by the
Hon. Charles Foster. of Ohio who, rs a member OF
the House Committee which Investigated the
alleged frauds of 1874. had opportunity TO know
him pretty we'll He sal that he belle red that
Governor Wells would conscentiousy cheat the
Democrats. and explaine his remark in this way :
Governor Wells is native OF Louisiana and was
a Unonist during the For this he was
cruelty prosecuted. lost much OF his PROPERTY. and
was ever hunted with boodhounls in the swarnps
of the State His snfferings completely soured him
against the Democratic party aud have made IL
utterly impossible for him 10 deal fairly with
them | believe that Governor Wells would have
given the State to the Republicans. no matter
what the vote might have been-he was in snch
frame of mind that he believed that in cheating the
Democrats ne was doing Gods service"
But Governor Foster believed that the State
honestly belonged 30 the Repu blcans.
Finally. lind in nv notebook, under date OF
MAY d, 1878. the following memoranda of a con-
versation with the n on. Abram g. Hewitt, who. 1t
will be remembered. was chairman Of the Domo-
cratic Nat,oral Committee and MT. riidens author
| lied representation. After speaking of several
other TOPICS he said: @General Taylor told
| me that there unmpeachahe evidence
IN the winter of 1S76-77 that the vote of Louisi-
| ana was obtained through the use oil money.
| He said that negotiations were progress and
that specified sums of money were men tioned. both
| on behalf of Republicans aud Democrats. believe.
| from what he toll me, that the Returnin g
Board of thai State received $4,000 from some
| Republican source. The money had not all been
paid at the time that Wells. Anderson. Casenav a
| and Kenner were brought to Washington by the
| Democratic committee to give their testimony. an
| Wells was at one time much Disguised AT the
treatment he received that he on the point OF
disclosing the whole s1air General Dick Tay-
| lor, who spent the winter in Washington. found
out who the agent was through whom negotia-
lions were being carried on between Wells aud the
Republicans, and had consulta ton with him.
| This agent told Gen era Taylor that il the Repub-
csns did not carry ont their part of the agreement
within forty eight hours Governor Wells wOnid
| put himself in the hands OF the Dem ocrats and
would disclose all the of the count. But the
! Democrats never got hold Of him" 1t Is interest
ing to recall the fact that the unmDeachabe evil
dence" which Mr.. Hewitt told on the
authority of Taylor the Democrats had OF
the bribery of the Louisiana Returning
| board was never produced before any committee
| of Con gress. and that the agent whom General
| Taylor got hold Of never put upon the witness
| stand. On the other hand. the Cipher Dispatch
disclosures made by Tax TRIBUNE daring the
succeeding Summer put the Democratic managers
on the defensive and destroyed public interest in
lcans. z. l. W.
| PROSPECTS OF SKATING SOON.