Lot 572
Garfield, James A. 20th President of the United States, 1881.
Autograph Letter Signed ("J.A. Garfield"). As Representative from Ohio's 19th Congressional District. Two pages, octavo, Washington D.C., March 23, 1877. On House of Representatives letterhead. To W. H. Upson. Mailing folds, small spot at top left corner. In fine condition.
In the course of his seventeen years in Congress, Garfield exerted considerable pull over Ohio and national politics -- the dealmaking that resulted in Rutherford B. Hayes' presidency was in large part orchestrated by Garfield himself. In fact, during the Hayes administration, Garfield was regarded as the spokesman of the President in the House. After Hayes' election, Garfield's recommendations for a Republican gubernatorial candidate would have been uppermost in many people's minds. "In accordance with our conversation I called on Mr. Cowles (Edwin Cowles, owner of the Cleveland Leader and a founder of the Republican Party) and had a full interview with him in reference to the Governorship. I found he was inclined to go for Taft, but after a full discussion of the case he expressed his willingness to go in heartily for you unless something should occur between now and the Convention that indicated that Taft would make a stronger canvass…advised he would come out strongly for you in the Leader, but suggested that I should get the Herald to start in first, for fear that that paper would oppose anything that the Leader favored."
Estimated Value $600 - 850.
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| Realized $437 |
