Description:

Rutherford B. Hayes
Washington, D.C., October 7, 1878
Rutherford B. Hayes ALS on Exec. Mansion Stationery to Influential Woman
ALS
President Rutherford B. Hayes sends a thank you letter to a Chicago socialite. 1p, measuring 5.5" x 6.75", Washington, D.C., dated October 7, 1878. Signed "R.B. Hayes" and addressed to Mrs. Adele G. D. Locke. Written on Executive Mansion stationery, Hayes thanks Locke for sending him an "interesting specimen" following her return from a tour of the British Isles. The letter has been tipped to another sheet. With flattened mail folds. Boldly signed.

Reading in full:
"If I postponed to a more convenient season your monograph I fear I might lose the good opinion you now have of my punctuality. I therefore hasten to confess my satisfaction with your kind words, and to thank you for the interesting specimen of an economical mind contained in your letter."

Historical Background
Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893) was the 19th President. He was a Harvard lawyer, had risen to the rank of brevet Brigadier General during the Civil War, and was elected as Ohio Republican Congressman in 1865. He took office after the disputed Presidential election of 1876, which was decided by a special Electoral Commission created by the House of Representatives. The special commission, comprised of seven Democrats and eight Republicans, decided each state contest on strict party lines, awarding Hayes a 185-184 victory over Tilden in the Electoral College. After a lengthy process, Florida's electoral votes ultimately decided the election.

After the Presidency, Hayes remained involved in public service and supported many of the Progressive reforms for which he had worked while in office. He was particularly interested in universal tax-funded education, helped dispense funds that gave educational grants to southern blacks, and fought to provide educational opportunities for all children. He also supported prison reform initiatives and argued that unregulated industrial capitalism resulted not in the Socially Darwinist "survival of the fittest" but instead in corporate greed and predatory business practices. In spite of the controversial start to his Presidency, Hayes in fact accomplished a considerable amount, ranging from patronage reforms to fiscal policies to rebuilding the power of the executive branch.

Adele Gleim Douthitt Locke (1840-1919) was an influential Chicagoan and founder of the Beresford Cat Club, with Lady Marcus Beresford, in 1899. She was a Siamese cat enthusiast, and her "Lockehaven Siam" was the first Siamese in the United States to win a Best Cat award. Locke was also the first president of the American Cat Association, founded in 1904. Her cats were among the first breeding pairs in the country. Her association with Hayes is unknown, but earlier in 1878, she traveled throughout England and Ireland, perhaps sending Hayes a souvenir from the trip to which he is responding. Also, David Sickels, Hayes's ambassador to Siam (Thailand) sent First Lady Lucy Hayes the first Siamese cat to be imported to the United States one month after this letter was written. Considering Mrs. Locke's future predilection for the breed, it is very possible that Hayes had some influence on her.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 5.5" x 6.75"
  • Medium: ALS

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