Description:

Hayes Rutherford

Hayes-Tilden Disputed Election Rare Ticket and Letter

 

Two pieces relating to the hotly contested 1876 U.S. presidential election between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden, including a congressional ticket and a 3pp ALS describing alleged voter fraud in Massachusetts.

 

The congressional ticket admitted the bearer into the Gallery of the House of Representatives to witness proceedings related to "Counting the Vote for President and Vice-President" on February 19, 1877. On mustard colored heavy stock with rounded corners, numbered 662, bearing 2 facsimile signatures, in near fine condition, and measuring 4.75" x 3."

 

The 3pp ALS on "Parker C. Chandler" letterhead is inscribed overall and signed by Boston attorney Parker Cleaveland Chandler (1848-1908) as "Parker C. Chandler" on third page. In near fine condition, with expected light paper folds and isolated edge toning. Each page measures 5" x 7.875."

 

On December 10, 1878 from his law offices at 27 Court Street in Boston, Massachusetts, attorney Parker C. Chandler wrote about a post-election report that he had recently received.

 

"Dear Sir,

 

The Board of Registraars [sic of Voters report to me that of the 1,100 complaints made to them by the Bureau of Inspection, they have found 300 to be illegally registered and their names are stricken from the list.

 

[This … goes to prove what some have doubted, the utility of the Bureau of Inspection in the late election.

 

I trust you will give this publicity, as many have doubted whether the time and money which I put into the investigation of fraud was a paying investment; and whether, as I have constantly averred, the list is loaded down by fraud.

 

It seems to me if in three weeks, most of which time was occupied in a system of investigation, I could drag out as much fraud as in above report, it would warrant the inference which I have drawn, that there are several thousand fraudulent names on the list."

 

Boston attorney Chandler wrote this letter 2 years after the controversial 1876 presidential election, when Democratic candidate and sitting New York Governor Samuel J. Tilden (1814-1886) had run unsuccessfully against Republican candidate and sitting Ohio Governor Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893), despite Tilden's winning the popular vote. The 20 unresolved Electoral College votes were given to Hayes as part of the Compromise of 1877 in exchange for the Republican promise to withdraw federal troops from the Reconstruction South.

 

Both Hayes and Tilden were accused of corrupt voting practices in the election aftermath. Chandler's letter does not specify for which party the fraudulent votes were cast, but the records tell us that all of Massachusetts's 13 Electoral College votes were given to Hayes, and the popular vote was 57% to 41% in Hayes's favor.

 

Parker Cleaveland Chandler practiced law in both Massachusetts and New York. He was the son of Boston attorney Peleg Whitman Chandler (1816-1889) and the maternal grandson of Parker Cleaveland (1780-1858), a longtime geology professor at Bowdoin College.

 

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