LS signed “J. A. Garfield,” three pages on two sheets, 7.5 x 9.5, House of Representatives letterhead, May 2, 1874. Letter to the Hon. John Peter Robison in Cleveland, in part: "I have been and am still greatly overworked and I hardly see any way out of it, while I hold my present position. My health is better than it was a few weeks ago, and I am trying to be as careful of myself as possible. I think we shall be able to settle on some bill relating to the currency that will be a compromise between the two opposing views. A bill that has two ideas in it, one free banking and the other the withdrawal and cancellation of greenbacks, say fifty percent of increase of bank note currency, would I think prevent inflation and at the same time give relief to the West and South. I fully believe the President's veto has saved the country from great disaster and I have no doubt that the country will ultimately come to that conclusion. I doubt if Congress will be willing to increase taxes at this session. The repeal of the tax on tea and coffee was very unwise and did nobody any good except importers and foreign producers. But perhaps the restoration of the tax might increase the price for a while. So far as my work here is concerned, I think I am having more influence in the House than I have had before." In very good to fine condition, with heavy intersecting folds.
In 1874, with a decade-long tenure in Congress and a position as chairman of House Committee on Appropriations, Garfield found himself as influential as he had ever been. However, despite his staunch opposition to a 'great inflation bill' in early April, it passed in both the House and Senate. The bill, which would have drastically increased the nation's circulation of paper money, met its end on President Grant's desk: vetoing the bill on April 21st, he declared that signing the bill would be a 'departure from true principles of finance, national interest, national obligations to creditors, Congressional promises, party pledges (on the part of both political parties), and of personal views and promises made by me.' A fantastic letter by Congressman Garfield on the hot economic topics of the day.
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