This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2017
Goldin Auctions is proud to present and offer a truly remarkable piece of United States history. A book from the 19th century is rare enough, but a book that has the signatures no less than eight United States presidents and hundreds of Senators and Congressmen serving in the 52nd United States Congress, makes this a truly remarkable item. There are a total of 288 signatures in this book and they have all been authenticated by the experts of PSA/DNA.
The 52nd United States Congress served during the years 1891 – 1893 and was the third and fourth years of then President Benjamin Harrison. Harrison, a Republican, was the sitting president with his Republican Party holding the majority in the Senate, while the Democratic Party was in control of the House of Representatives.
The Senate President Pro Tempore was Charles F. Manderson (R) of Nebraska and the Speaker of the House was Charles F. Crisp (D) of Georgia. The senate held the majority with 46 Republicans to 36 Democrats with two Populists during the beginning of the 52nd Congress and had four vacancies. By the end of the 52nd Congress, there were 88 total seats with the then 44 states and Republicans still held the majority with 47, Democrats 39 and Populists at two. In the House of Representatives, the Democrats held the majority with 238, the Republicans 86 and the Populists eight.
Two presidents in the late 19th century did battle for three consecutive elections, Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison, have signed their names on one page. Cleveland was the only president to be elected to two non-consecutive terms as he served before and after Benjamin Harrison. Cleveland won the popular votes in all three elections, but Harrison was victorious in the Electoral College following Cleveland’s first full term. Harrison saw six states admitted to the union under his presidency with the additions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington in 1889, along with Idaho and Wyoming in 1890 which brought the total states to 44.
One of our nation’s most popular presidents and figures, Theodore Roosevelt, was the driving force of the Progressive Era in the early 20th century and is one of the four faces on Mount Rushmore. Roosevelt’s most famous quote was “speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far”. Roosevelt’s signature is on a cut that is affixed to a page.
William Howard Taft and Calvin Coolidge continued the Republican Party dominance in the White House and Democrat Woodrow Wilson guided the country through World War I and was a big backer of The League of Nations. All three of these presidents’ signatures have been signed on cuts that have been adhered to a page.
The last two presidents in this book are Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. Both men were instrumental in guiding the nation through The Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II of the 1940s. Truman signed his name directly to the book, while FDR’s signature is a cut that has been affixed to the page.
There were several key figures that have added their respective signatures to this impressive book and they include Supreme Court Justices Steven Johnson Field, Horace Gray, Melville Fuller, Samuel Blatchford, David Josiah Brewer, Henry Billings Brown and George Shiras Jr. Also in this book is the signature of George Dewey, the only person in US history to ever achieve the rank of Admiral of the Navy and Rebecca Latimer Felton, who served one day in the Senate in 1922.
In addition to the eight presidents’ signatures and other dignitaries represented in this extraordinary book, most of the senators and future senators have signed their respective names directly to this book. The names include: John T. Morgan (D – AL), James L. Pugh (D – AL), Charles Felton (R – CA), Thomas R. Bard (CA), Charles Felton (R – CA), Henry Teller (R – CO), Edward Wolcott (R – CO), Joseph Hawley (R – CT), Orville H. Platt (R – CT), George Gray (D – DE), Anthony Higgins (R – DE), Wilkinson Call (D – FL), Samuel Pasco (D – FL), Stephen R. Mallory (FL), James Taliaferro (FL), Alfred Colquitt (D – GA), John B. Gordon (D – GA), Augustus Octavian Bacon (D – GA), Alexander S. Clay (D – GA), George Sharp (R – ID), Fred Dubois (R – ID), John McAuley Palmer (D – Il), Shelby Cullom (R – Il), David Turpic (D – IN), Daniel Vorhees ( D – IN), Charles W. Fairbanks (IN), James F. Wilson (R – IA), William B. Allison (R – IA), William Peffer (Populist – KA), Bishop W. Perkins (R – KA), John G. Carlisle (D – KY), William Lindsay (D – KY), Joseph C.S. Blackburn (D – KY), Edward D. White (D – LA), Randall Gibson (D – LA), Donelson Caffery (D – LA), George L. Wellington (MD), Arthur Pue Gorman (D –MD), Charles H. Gibson (D – MD), Henry L. Dawes (R – MA), George F. Hoar (R – MA), William P. Frye (R – ME), Eugene Hale (R – ME), William Washburn (R – MN), Cushman Davis (R – MN), Knute Nelson (R – MN), Francis Stockbridge (R – MI), James McMillan (R – MI), Edward Walthall (D – MS), William V. Sullivan (D – MS), Francis M. Cockrell (D – MO), George G. Vest (D – MO), Wilbur F. Sanders (R – MT), Thomas C. Power (R – MT), Thomas H. Carter (R – MT), James Smith, Jr. (D – NJ), Rufus Blodgett (D – NJ), John R. McPherson (D – NJ), Frank Hiscock (R – NY), David B. Hill (D – NY), David B. Hill (D – NY), Edward Murphy, Jr. (D – NY), Thomas C. Platt (R – NY), Chauncey DePew (R – NY), Zebulon B. Vance (D – NC), Matt W. Ransom (D – NC), Marion Butler (Populist – NC), Henry C. Hansbrough (R – ND), Porter J. McCumber (R – ND), Lyman R. Casey (R – ND), William N. Roach (D – ND), Jacob H. Gallinger (R – NH), William E. Chandler (R – NH), Henry W. Blair (R – NH), Charles Manderson – Senate Pro Tempore (R – NE), Algernon S. Paddock (R – NE), William V. Allen (Populist – NE), William Stewart (R – NV), John P. Jones (R – NV), John Sherman ( R – OH), Calvin S. Brice (D – OH), Joseph B. Forker (R – OH), Joseph N. Dolph (R – OR), John H. Mitchell (R – OR), George W. McBride (R – OR), Joseph Simon (R – OR), J. Donald Cameron (R – PA), Matthew S. Quay (R – PA), Nelson W. Aldrich (D – RI), Nathan F. Dixon III (R – RI), George P. Wetmore (R – RI), John L.M. Irby (D – SC), Matthew C. Butler (D – SC), Richard T. Pettigrew (R – SD), James H. Kyle (Populist – SD), William B. Bate (D – TN), Isham G. Harris (D – TN), Thomas B. Turley (D – TN), Horace Chilton (D – TX), Richard Coke (D – TX), Roger Mills (D – TX), Charles A. Culberson (D – TX), Redfield Proctor (R – VT), Justin S. Morrill (R – VT), George F. Edmunds (R – VT), John W. Daniel (D – VA), John S. Barbour, Jr. (D – VA), Thomas S. Martin (D – VA), John B. Allen (R – WA), Watson Squire (R – WA), Addison G. Foster (R – WA), Charles J. Faulkner (D – WV), Johnson N. Camden (D – WV), John E. Kenna (D – WV), Stephen B. Elkins (R – WV), Philetus Sawyer (R – WI), William Vilas (D – WI), John Coit Spooner (R – WI), John L. Mitchell (D – WI), Joseph V. Quarles (R – WI), Francis E. Warren (R – WY), Joseph Carey (R – WY) and Clarence D. Clark (R –WY).
The members of the House of Representatives that have signed this book include: Ezra Taylor (R – OH, signed twice), William F. Parrett (D – IN), Matthew D. Lagan (D – IN), Samuel W.T. Lanham (D – TX), Lemuel Amerman (D – PA), William Mutchler (D – PA), George F. Keibbs (D – PA), Charles E. Kelknap (R – MI), Matthew P. Griswold (R – PA), Adolph Meyer (D – LA), Thomas D. English (D – NJ), Henry Bentley (D – NY), George W. Fithian (D – IL), Marriott Brosius (R – PA), Willis Sweet (At Large – ID), Joseph Abbott (D – TX), John T. Hamilton (D – IA), Lucas M. Miller (D – WI), William H. Harries (D – MN), Walter H. Butler (D – IA), John W. Rife (R – PA), John W. Kendall (D – KY), Luthor F. McKinney (D – NH), Robert E. deforest (D – CT), David DeArmond (D – MO), Scott Wire (D – IL), Thomas Bunting (D – NY), James H. Blount (D – GA), Benjamin F. Grady (D – NC), Richard H. Clarke (D – AL), William Bynum (D – IN), George Bricker (D – WI), Walter Newberry (D – IL), Sherman Hoar (D – MA), Frederick Coolidge (D – MA), Joseph Walker (R – MA), William H. Enochs (R – OH), Julius C. Burrows (R – MI), H. Henry Powers (R – UT), Thomas Weadock (D – MI), John B. Long (D – TX), John Henderson (D – NC), Case Broderick (R – KA), Albert Pearson (D – OH), James Richardson (D – TN), Antonio Joseph (D – NM, Non-Voting), George W. Cooper – cut signature affixed to book page (D – IN), Martin Gantz (D – OH), George Shonk (R – PA), William W. Dickerson (D – KY), Alex Dockery (D – MD), William H.H. Cowles (D – NC), John H. Wilson (R – KY), Henry V. Johnson (R – IN), Sydenham Alexander (D – NC), John C. Houk (R – TN), Joseph McKenna (R – CA), Alexander Craig (D – PA), John D. Pendleton (D – WV), John M. Allen (D – MS) and Benjamin Clover (Populist – KS).
This once-in-a-lifetime book is in fair condition with some pages not attached, but the signatures are in excellent condition, given the age. This item comes with a full LOA from PSA/DNA (AB12990), which covers the authenticity of all 288 signatures. Additional images of this book are available upon request.