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James A. Garfield: Presidents
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At the 1880 Republican Convention, Garfield failed to win the Presidential nomination for his friend John Sherman. Finally, on the 36th ballot, Garfield himself became the "dark horse" nominee. By a margin of only 10,000 popular votes, Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee, Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock. As President, Garfield strengthened Federal authority over the New York Customs House, stronghold of Senator Roscoe Conkling, who was leader of the Stalwart Republicans and dispenser of patronage in New York. When Garfield submitted to the Senate a list of appointments including many of Conkling's friends, he named Conkling's arch-rival William H. Robertson to run the Customs House. Conkling contested the nomination, tried to persuade the Senate to block it, and appealed to the Republican caucus to compel its withdrawal.
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Shorthand transcription of President Garfield's Inaugural Address by a 12 3/4 year old girl, March 4, 1881, among papers of James A. Garfield. Library of Congress. Manuscript Division. The Papers of James A. Garfield.
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From the Mollie Garfield autograph and art album, 1882-1883, one page of twenty-six signed sketches by American artists, presented to Mollie Garfield following the assassination of her father, President James A. Garfield. This sketch, dated July 1883, is by the painter William Henry Holmes (1846-1933), who served as the Smithsonian's Curator of the National Gallery of Art from 1907 to 1920, and as its director from 1920 to 1932. Watercolor on paper, 18 x 21.5 cm. Mollie Garfield autograph and art album, 1882-1883.
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In 1880 Garfield was elected to the U.S. Senate from Ohio, but before he took his seat, he agreed to manage John Sherman's campaign to win the Republican presidential nomination. The chief Republican candidates that year were former U.S. president Ulysses S. Grant and Senator James G. Blaine. Sherman's hopes were based on an anticipated deadlock between the two front-runners, which would force the convention to turn to him as a compromise candidate. The convention did, indeed, deadlock and settle on a third person, but that person was Garfield rather than Sherman. Toward the end of his life Sherman became convinced that his manager had actively betrayed him, but close examination of the records by several historians indicates that this was not so. Garfield knew before the convention that certain parties were working for him as a compromise candidate, but he neither encouraged nor effectively discouraged the talk. He certainly had presidential ambitions, but like a good party regular, he recognized Sherman's seniority among Ohio politicians and was willing to wait his turn.
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Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau on July 2, 1881, less than 4 months into his term, and lingered through the summer until he died from blood poisoning in September. This leaf from an autograph album is signed with a magnificent large signature as President "James A. Garfield, May 3, 1881" It is ... signed at the lower right by "Lucretia R. Garfield," his wife and First Lady. Because he was shot so soon into his administration, Garfield's autograph as President is naturally rare, and we have never before seen anything signed by him and by Lucretia as well, nor can we recall seeing any other autograph of hers as First Lady. Interestingly, this autograph was signed exactly half way through his term of active service as President. Whether as a Presidential signature or a First Lady's signature this double signing is a true rarity among Presidential Collections.
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Garfield hung on for 11 weeks before dying. Unsuccessful efforts were made to locate one of the bullets, which had lodged in his back. Alexander Graham Bell provided his expertise with a newly developed electric device, but to no avail. The president died from blood poisoning, most likely stemming from the efforts to extract the bullet with contaminated instruments.
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