Lot 552
The Disputed 1876 Hayes-Tilden Presidential Election. In 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes ran as the Republican candidate for President, against Democrat Samuel J. Tilden. Tilden won the popular vote with 4,284,020 votes to Hayes' 4,036,572; however, Tilden was short one electoral vote for a majority. The returns of South Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, and Oregon were disputed, and the controversy dragged on until Congress created an electoral commission to decide the result. The commission was made up of eight Republicans and seven Democrats, who voted along party lines. Hayes was awarded all the disputed returns, thus giving him a majority of one in the electoral college. Hayes made a behind-closed-doors deal with Southern Democrats to end Reconstruction, thus ensuring white control and reversing the gains that blacks had made during Reconstruction.
This lot is made up of two items from the 1876 Presidential election: (1) A folio manuscript document with notation on verso signed "Acting Secretary, Treasury Department [Charles F. Conant], February 24, 1887," and reading, "This paper was handed to me by Mr. Z. Moses, Clerk to Mr. Ferry, Vice President, with the statement that the names appearing thereon were those of the messengers bringing the electoral votes from the several states mentioned which were allowed and counted, but to whom the President of the Senate could not, on account of complications, give the certificates." Inside are the names of messengers from Oregon, Florida, and Louisiana, the last two being among the four Southern States who submitted two sets of electoral votes. It was Florida's final vote that turned the election to Hayes (2) A letter dated March 2, 1877, 5:30 AM (the day the electoral commission gave the vote to Hayes) from John P. Bigelow, on Willard's Hotel stationery, Wash. D.C., addressed to Acting Secretary of the Treasury Charles F. Conant, with a "you are there" account of the final tally! In part, "At 4:40 this morning I cabled to our London office count completed 4:10 AM, Hayes declared elected…I have been on the floor of the House sixteen hours and as it is now after five o'clock will probably be late at the Dept…." Scarce and historical.
Estimated Value $1,200 - 1,500.
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| Realized $690 |
