An Autographed Letter Signed From Levi Morton To John Sherman

LEVI MORTON (1824-1920). Morton was the 22nd Vice President of the United States under President Benjamin Harrison and the 31st Governor of New York. JOHN SHERMAN (1823-1900). Sherman was the 32nd United States Secretary of the Treasury under President Rutheford Hayes and the 35th United States Secretary of State under President William McKinley. ANS. 1pg. 8 x 10. Date unknown. An autograph letter signed LP Morton to Hon John Sherman. In the letter, Levi Morton writes: Please defer any action until I can see you May I say telegraph that you will do nothing now. Though no date is given on the letter, it is written on House of Representatives stationary. Between 1879 and 1881, Levi Morton was a Congressman representing Manhattan in the 46th Congress, so this letter is most likely from those years. Morton had previously been a successful international banker and cotton broker. While in Congress, he allied with the Stalwart faction, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, and served as Finance Chairman of the Republican National Committee. From this position, Congressman Morton advocated for the gold standard, a position opposed by John Sherman, who was then serving as United States Secretary of the Treasury. In 1879, Secretary Sherman was advocating for a measure working its way through Congress, the Bland-Allison Act, that would mine silver for currency instead of gold, the former more popular with debtors as it would expand the money supply and make repayment easier. President Rutheford Hayes later vetoed the bill over inflationary concerns, but the veto was overruled by Congress and the silver issue would divide the Republican Party for the next several decades. At the 1880 Republican National Convention, Congressman Morton supported Stalwart-favorite Ulysses S. Grant, while Secretary Sherman ran as the preference of President Hayes and his allies. Eventually, Secretary Shermans nominator, James Garfield, was selected. To appease the Stalwarts, the nomination for Vice President was offered to Congressman Morton, who declined as per the wishes of Senator Conkling. The nomination was then offered to another New York Stalwart, Chester Arthur, who accepted and became President the next year when Garfield was assassinated. The letter is in fine shape with light smudging to the ink.