Description:

William H. Taft
Washington, DC, January 4, 1927
William H. Taft TLS On Grover Cleveland's 90th Birthday - Fantastic
TLS

A 1p typed letter signed by William H. Taft (1857-1930), former 27th U.S. President and then Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, as "Wm H Taft" at center. January 4, 1927. [Washington, D.C.] On watermarked stationery with "Supreme Court of the United States / Washington, D.C." embossed letterhead. Expected wear such as even toning; flattened transmittal folds and a few extra wrinkles, including one vertical fold just touching the "t" of Taft's signed last name. A small closed tear affecting the top edge. Else near fine, 8" x 10.5." Provenance: Ex-Doris Harris, 1966.

Taft wrote this letter to David Robinson, Secretary of the Grover Cleveland Association of New York, declining an invitation to attend an upcoming event commemorating the 90th anniversary of Grover Cleveland's birth on March 18, 1927.

Taft wrote in part:

"I thank the Grover Cleveland Association for its kind invitation to become its guest at a dinner to be held at the Hotel Astor commemorating the 90th anniversary of the birth of Grover Cleveland. I have already on a number of occasions expressed my great respect for Grover Cleveland and what he did as President, and I deeply regret that I shall be unable to be present as your guest…"

Although Taft was unable to attend this specific event, he was correct in stating that he had praised former President Cleveland on numerous other occasions. On March 18, 1909, for example, then President Taft - just two weeks into his presidential term - had delivered a eulogy of Cleveland on what would have been the latter's 72nd birthday (Cleveland had died just nine months earlier, in June 1908.) Taft's remarks delivered at Carnegie Hall on March 18, 1908 and later that same day at the College of the City of New York made it clear that Taft, despite the differences in their political affiliations, greatly revered Cleveland's thoughtful and fair-minded leadership. Taft had stated in part at the 1908 Grover Cleveland Memorial: "Grover Cleveland was as completely American in his character as Lincoln… His chief characteristics were simplicity and directness of thought, sturdy honesty, courage of his convictions and plainness of speech, with a sense of public duty that has been exceeded by no statesman within my knowledge…"

The March 18, 1927 event hosted by the Grover Cleveland Association of New York took place at the Hotel Astor in New York City. Some 300 attendees came, including Hoke Smith, the only living member of Cleveland's presidential cabinet (Smith had served as Secretary of the Interior during Cleveland's second term, from 1893-1896.) Smith's comments mirrored Taft's in their praise of Cleveland as a prudent and just decision-maker. At this event, Smith called Cleveland "the ablest, wisest and greatest president."

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.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 8" x 10.5"
  • Medium: TLS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

October 8, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000