PRESIDENT BENJAMIN HARRISON - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 09/12/1888 CO-SIGNED BY: WILLIAM H. GRATWICK - HFSID 5124

BENJAMIN HARRISON
The Republican presidential nominee declines to make a statement of support for the YMCA because "Such a letter would appear to be rather an aid of myself than of the organization and I have too much respect for it to seem to use it in that way."
Typed Letter Signed: "Benj Harrison", 1p, 8½x11. Indianapolis, Indiana, 1888 September 12. To William H. Gratwick, Esq., President, Y.M.C.A., Buffalo, New York. In full: "Your letter of Sept. 8th has been received and I think I should adhere to my former determination. If there were any occasion calling for an expression upon the subject, it would be cheerfully and heartily given but to make an occasion does not seem to me to be appropriate. The organization is too well-known to need any such support or advertisement. Such a letter would appear to be rather in aid of myself than of the organization and I have too much respect for it to seem to use it in that way." An Autograph Document Signed: "W.H.G." by the recipient is at the bottom. In full: "(Note/A former letter from Mr Genl H indicates that he felt sensitive about writing anything that might be construed as political and while the same modesty shows itself in this letter it is evident that he fully indorses (sic) the YMCA.)" Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901), Civil War Brigadier General and one term Senator from Indiana (1881-1887), had been nominated for President three months earlier on the eighth ballot at the Republican National Convention held in Chicago on June 19-23, 25, 1888. In the November 6, 1888 election, Harrison defeated incumbent President Grover Cleveland by 233-168 electoral votes and 20-18 states even though Cleveland won in popular votes, 5.5 million to 5.4 million. (Cleveland won a rematch four years later.) Harrison was the first of only two Republicans to defeat an incumbent President (the other was Reagan, who defeated Carter in 1980). William H. Gratwick, a Buffalo lumber dealer and ship owner, was President of the city's YMCA. Encapsulated. Lightly soiled and creased. Folds, horizontal fold touches the "B" and "H". Vertical fold touches the "a" in Harrison, else in fine condition.