William Taft ALS Joking About Following Prohibition Law Days Before Chief Justice Nomination!
William Taft
Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Montreal, Canada, June 6, 1921
William Taft ALS Joking About Following Prohibition Law Days Before Chief Justice Nomination!
ALS
A 1p autograph letter signed by former 27th U.S. President William H. Taft (1857-1930), as "Wm H Taft" at center. June 6, 1921. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Montreal, Canada. Inscribed on watermarked custom stationery with "William H. Taft / New Haven, Connecticut" embossed letterhead. Expected wear including toning, flattened transmittal folds, and a few extra wrinkles. Isolated scuffs to the upper left corner. Else near fine. 8" x 10.5". Comes with the former collector's research printouts. From The Doug Wertman Collection.
This letter shows an unusually light-hearted side to William H. Taft, the straitlaced lawyer and former president soon-to-be nominated by President Warren G. Harding as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In it, Taft teases his correspondent about succumbing to a "dry panic," meaning an abstinence from alcohol. The National Prohibition Act - also known as the Volstead Act - had already been effective in the United States for 18 months. Therefore it shouldn't have been any surprise that individuals were complying with it, yet this act of rule-abidingness apparently struck Taft as novel. There is a certain amount of irony about a future Supreme Court Chief Justice joking about following the law!
In full:
"Dear Mr. Tey
I am not surprised that the dry panic has struck you? Why not? I am surprised you have not felt it earlier.
With best wishes
Sincerely yours
Wm H Taft
Ritz Carlton,
Montreal
June 6, 1921."
In 1921, Taft was in New Haven, Connecticut teaching at his alma mater Yale University. He was called to Montreal in early June to serve as representative chief counsel for the Grand Trunk Railway Company in an arbitration proceeding. Throughout the month of June, there was rampant press speculation that Taft was Harding's frontrunner candidate, yet the president did not announce Taft's nomination until June 30th. Taft joined the Supreme Court bench as Chief Justice about one month after writing this letter, on July 11, 1921.
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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William Taft
Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Montreal, Canada, June 6, 1921
William Taft ALS Joking About Following Prohibition Law Days Before Chief Justice Nomination!
ALS
A 1p autograph letter signed by former 27th U.S. President William H. Taft (1857-1930), as "Wm H Taft" at center. June 6, 1921. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Montreal, Canada. Inscribed on watermarked custom stationery with "William H. Taft / New Haven, Connecticut" embossed letterhead. Expected wear including toning, flattened transmittal folds, and a few extra wrinkles. Isolated scuffs to the upper left corner. Else near fine. 8" x 10.5". Comes with the former collector's research printouts. From The Doug Wertman Collection.
This letter shows an unusually light-hearted side to William H. Taft, the straitlaced lawyer and former president soon-to-be nominated by President Warren G. Harding as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In it, Taft teases his correspondent about succumbing to a "dry panic," meaning an abstinence from alcohol. The National Prohibition Act - also known as the Volstead Act - had already been effective in the United States for 18 months. Therefore it shouldn't have been any surprise that individuals were complying with it, yet this act of rule-abidingness apparently struck Taft as novel. There is a certain amount of irony about a future Supreme Court Chief Justice joking about following the law!
In full:
"Dear Mr. Tey
I am not surprised that the dry panic has struck you? Why not? I am surprised you have not felt it earlier.
With best wishes
Sincerely yours
Wm H Taft
Ritz Carlton,
Montreal
June 6, 1921."
In 1921, Taft was in New Haven, Connecticut teaching at his alma mater Yale University. He was called to Montreal in early June to serve as representative chief counsel for the Grand Trunk Railway Company in an arbitration proceeding. Throughout the month of June, there was rampant press speculation that Taft was Harding's frontrunner candidate, yet the president did not announce Taft's nomination until June 30th. Taft joined the Supreme Court bench as Chief Justice about one month after writing this letter, on July 11, 1921.
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!
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
