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ALS as an Ohio congressman, signed “J. A. Garfield,” three pages on two sheets, 5 x 8, September 25, 1874. Addressed from Hiram, Ohio, a handwritten letter to an unidentified senator, ostensibly John Sherman, in full: “In accordance with the arrangement I made with you and with the Central Committee, we have posted you for a mass meeting at Warren on Saturday afternoon Oct. 10th. I hope I shall not embarrass you by suggesting that in your speech you take occasion to say a few words in reference to my standing and public service, as a Representative. It will do much to counteract the prejudice that a small knot of persistent assailants have created against me. I write also to inquire if you will be willing to speak at another place the same evening. If so we are very anxious to have you do so. Please telegraph me at Garrettsville, Ohio.” Garfield adds a postscript on the reverse of the first page and signs with his initials: “I am having large meetings, and I think we shall get a full vote – J.A.G.” In fine condition.
Written during Garfield’s 1874 reelection campaign, this letter documents the practical mechanics of Republican political organization in Ohio during a difficult election year. Addressed to a fellow Republican senator, likely John Sherman, Garfield discusses upcoming campaign appearances and asks that the recipient “say a few words in reference to my standing and public service, as a Representative.” Particularly revealing is his concern over what he describes as a “small knot of persistent assailants” who had created prejudice against him, prompting his request for public support from a prominent political ally. Penned just weeks before the congressional elections of 1874, a year in which Republicans suffered substantial losses nationwide, the letter offers a contemporary glimpse into Garfield’s efforts to defend his public record and mobilize support among Ohio voters. In a postscript, Garfield reports, “I am having large meetings, and I think we shall get a full vote.” Garfield was reelected to Congress in November 1874.
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