Morey letter
Encyclopedia
The Morey letter was a forgery
that appeared during the 1880 United States presidential election
.
On October 20, 1880, the New York newspaper The Truth published a letter that was supposed to have been written by Republican presidential candidate James A. Garfield to an "H.L. Morey" of Lynn, Massachusetts
. Purported to have been written in January of 1879, the letter—just three sentences written on congressional stationery—implied that Garfield favored unrestricted Chinese immigration
. Chinese immigration was a controversial issue, and both Garfield and his Democratic opponent Winfield Scott Hancock
were on record as being against further immigration.
Garfield initially made no comment on the letter, because he could not be sure whether he had written it. Reporters could find no person named H.L. Morey in Lynn. Once Garfield saw a copy of The Truth with a lithograph of the letter, he was sure it was not his own handwriting. On October 26 Garfield submitted a handwritten version of the letter, which was published in newspapers so readers could compare the handwriting and judge for themselves. Garfield went on to win the election.
The Morey letter was thought to be a forgery emanating from Democratic Party operatives and produced a backlash against the Democrats. While never proven, there was much public speculation at the time that journalist Stanley Huntley, of the Brooklyn Eagle
and creator of the Spoopendyke humor stories, was the author of the Morey Letter. Huntley himself had made fun of the question of who wrote the letter in one of his stories.
Questioned document examination
Questioned document examination is the forensic science discipline pertaining to documents that are in dispute in a court of law...
that appeared during the 1880 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 1880
The United States presidential election of 1880 was largely seen as a referendum on the end of Reconstruction in Southern states carried out by the Republicans. There were no pressing issues of the day save tariffs, with the Republicans supporting higher tariffs and the Democrats supporting lower...
.
On October 20, 1880, the New York newspaper The Truth published a letter that was supposed to have been written by Republican presidential candidate James A. Garfield to an "H.L. Morey" of Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
. Purported to have been written in January of 1879, the letter—just three sentences written on congressional stationery—implied that Garfield favored unrestricted Chinese immigration
Chinese immigration to the United States
Chinese American history is the history of Chinese Americans or the history of ethnic Chinese in the United States. Chinese immigration to the U.S. consisted of three major waves, with the first beginning in the 19th century. Chinese immigrants in the 19th century worked as laborers, particularly...
. Chinese immigration was a controversial issue, and both Garfield and his Democratic opponent Winfield Scott Hancock
Winfield Scott Hancock
Winfield Scott Hancock was a career U.S. Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service in the Mexican-American War and as a Union general in the American Civil War...
were on record as being against further immigration.
Garfield initially made no comment on the letter, because he could not be sure whether he had written it. Reporters could find no person named H.L. Morey in Lynn. Once Garfield saw a copy of The Truth with a lithograph of the letter, he was sure it was not his own handwriting. On October 26 Garfield submitted a handwritten version of the letter, which was published in newspapers so readers could compare the handwriting and judge for themselves. Garfield went on to win the election.
The Morey letter was thought to be a forgery emanating from Democratic Party operatives and produced a backlash against the Democrats. While never proven, there was much public speculation at the time that journalist Stanley Huntley, of the Brooklyn Eagle
Brooklyn Eagle
The Brooklyn Daily Bulletin began publishing when the original Eagle folded in 1955. In 1996 it merged with a newly revived Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and now publishes a morning paper five days a week under the Brooklyn Daily Eagle name...
and creator of the Spoopendyke humor stories, was the author of the Morey Letter. Huntley himself had made fun of the question of who wrote the letter in one of his stories.