[ William Sulzer ] A Collection of Pamphlets, Printed Ephemera and Manuscript Material.

William Sulzer (1863-1941), nicknamed 'Plain Bill Sulzer', is remembered as the only Governor of New York ever to be impeached. He served as a Representative in Congress from 1895 to 1912, in the latter year chairing the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. In 1913, shortly after his inauguration as 39th Governor of New York State, he was impeached by the State Assembly on charges of having diverted campaign funds to his own use, charges which Sulzer asserted were a 'fit-up' by Tammany Hall boss Charles F. Murphy because of his refusal to do Murphy's bidding (although Tammany is said to have previously supported his election). In October 1913 Sulzer was removed from office. He later served on the New York State Assembly and made a second, unsuccessful run for the governor's office in 1914, thereafter returning to the law. Sulzer died in New York City in 1941. Throughout his career, and despite his impeachment, Sulzer had many supporters. Writing at the height of the controversy, Dr Albert Shaw gave his opinion (Item Seven below): 'Governor Sulzer, thrown out of his office by Tammany, will unquestionably go down in history, along with Tilden, as one of the great reform Governors of the State of New York, whose courage in defying the corrupt combinations of crooked politics and crooked business led to great progress in the long-suffering but noble cause of good government.' And George W. Dennison (Item Ten below): 'Everybody in the State, that has an ounce of common sense, knows that Boss Murphy removed Governor Sulzer because the governor was determined to do what he believed was right, regardless of Murphy; because he got after the grafters, in the interest of honest government; and because he advocated legislative reforms to the interest of the people to which Murphy and his gang were opposed. | The impeachment proceeding was a farce and a scandal. It was illegal and unconstitutional. Every lawyer in the State who is not a Tammany lawyer will tell you so. The whole matter was a political frame-up, and has damned Tammany Hall forever. I have gone over the record, and I may say this as a just man, and an old-time Democrat.'A collection of Sulzer's papers, dating from between 1911 and 1918, is in the Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.The present collection contains 98 items, arranged as follows:Part A. 74 items, tipped in and laid down onto the 50 leaves of an 8vo scrap book, bound in grey cloth with 'Scraps' in gilt on spine. Ticket of New York stationers John Ward & Son on front pastedown. The front free endpaper has at top the stamp "K&T 2808"[?], and at foot "28/6.1923. Emile Carbonnel. New York". (The scrapbook was compiled on behalf of Sulzer himself: how it came into the hands of Carbonnel is not known.)Part B. Bound collection of 23 pamphlets of speeches and writings, including items relating to Tammany Hall, graft, Latin America, libraries, and a speech on prohibition by William S. Bennet. Printed in New York and Washington between 1902 and 1916.Part C. A single printed pamphlet in favour of postal reform, titled 'Our Postal Express. Speech of Hon. William Sulzer, of New York, In the House of Representatives. Thursday, June 9, 1910.' Including an endorsement by Frederick C. Beach, editor of Scientific American.PART A. Items mainly dating from between June and August 1916, but with a few items apiece from 1913, 1915, 1918 and 1922 and 1923, and comprising: some of Sulzer's in-coming correspondence of the period, a few copies of his own letters (including one 'on the repeal of the Long Sault charter'), rare pamphlets and offprints, a telegram, and a signed carte de visite of Sulzer. Book and contents are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper.The letters contained in this volume are substantial ones on a range of political topics, and generally running to more than one page. Among the correspondents are: J. Sanger Fox, Executive Secretary, Oregon Prohibition State Committee; Ernest Harvier (1863-1929), journalist; Edgar G. Jones of Baltimore; J. H. Lawton of Oneida; J. H. Moore of Lakeport, California; Huldah L. Potter-Leonis; J. Arthur Petersen, National Organizer, Organization Bureau (and 'Organizer and Lecturer for Patriotic Societies'); C. E. Pitts, Secretary, Prohibition National Headquarters; Chester C. Platt (1869-1934) of the Wisconsin Nonpartisan League, Madison (drugstore proprietor and reputed inventor of the icecream sundae); D. J. Reynolds of the American Federation of Patriotic Societies; Olin J. Ross, Attorney-at-Law, Columbus, Ohio; Dr Chares Oliver Sahler (1854-1917), proprietor of a sanitarium in Kingston-on-the-Hudson, New York ; John A. Shielder, Secretary, The American Party; F. L. Schnadt, Chairman, Government-Money Party; F. M. Shippey, General Superintendant of Organizers, Knights of Luther, Des Moines, Iowa; Arthur B. Simonds of Franklin, New Hampshire; A. E. Spriggs, State of Montana, Industrial Accident Board (former Governor of Montana); Dr A. P. Squire, health officer, of Rotterdam, New York; Daniel B. Strong; B. Tokaji; H. H. van Meter, International Order, Grand Lodge, USA; Theo van Wyck; David Vasquez; Lorenzo G. Warfield of the National Democrat; Joseph Weeks of the B. F. Sturtevant Co., Boston, Mass.; George W. Woolsey, editor of the Illinois Banner. The telegram is to Sulzer from Walter Judd Scott, 20 May 1921: 'Just received letter from Edwards if you are getting information for him all right but don't let him have any money for expenses make him show results first'.The nine pamphlets present in Part A are all uncommon (and only Item Two is duplicated in Part B, where it is Item Twenty-One): ONE: 'Charter and rules and bye-laws of the American Party' (no date or place). No copy on WorldCat. TWO: 'Governor Sulzer | The political bosses | and | The legislature | Statement by the Governor | Statement by his counsel | The Governor's last message to the legislature | Comment of newspaper correspondents | The Governor's speech at Corning' ([1913?]). Five copies on WorldCat. THREE: 'Lest we forget! | "The tumult of the Campaign dies, | The Bosses and their Tools depart, | Yet . . . ?" | Read all of this pamphlet if you want to know the truth' (Issued by The American Party, Headquarters, Broadway Central Hotel, 675 Broadway, New York City, [1916]). Three copies on WorldCat. FOUR: 'The story of William Sulzer, the people's choice for Governor. | William Sulzer. | His record tells his story and is a platform in itself' (Printed for Distribution by the Campaign Committee, [1913]). One copy on WorldCat. FIVE: 'In the Supreme Court of the United States | The Texas-Cherokees, and associate bands, Complainants, | versus | The State of Texas, Defendant. | Notice and motion for leave to file original bill. Bill of complaint and memorandum in support thereof' ([1920]). Two copies on WorldCat. SIX: 'The Swastika | A periodical of protest and progress | The science of how to get rich' (Issued by The Swastika Science Society, 203 Broadway, New York, vol. 1 no. 1, June 1915). One copy on WorldCat. SEVEN: 'Thus spake a man. | Read all of this pamphlet if you want to know the truth', containing the essays 'Former Governor Wm. Sulzer. A short sketch of the man who does things. By Julius Chambers, F.R.G.S. (Formerly Managing Editor of the N. Y. Herald.)' and 'A great reform governor. What Doctor Albert Shaw says of Mr. Sulzer.' (Issued by The Liberty League. Headquarters: Broadway Central Hotel - | 675 Broadway, New York City, [1916? 1918?]). Four copies on WorldCat. EIGHT: 'Watchman, what of the night? | For President | Wm. Sulzer, of New York' (Issued by The American Party, [1916?]). Four copies on WorldCat. NINE: 'When they ask you to repeal the Direct Primary Law take a fool's advice - and - Don't! Read the reasons.' (Reprinted, by request, by the Direct Primary Committee of New York, [1913]). One copy on WorldCat.Also present are a small number of offprints, handbills and cuttings, including TEN: Two copies of an offprint of a letter by George W. Dennison titled 'A letter from a well known citizen about Governor Whitman, Ex-Senator Brackett, Former Gov. Sulzer, and Ben Murphy's handy man - The Honorable Al. Smith of Tammany Hall'. 'Reprinted from the Knickerbocker Press, Aug. 31, 1918'. One copy on WorldCat. '[...] Everybody in the State, that has an ounce of common sense, knows that Boss Murphy removed Governor Sulzer because the governor was determined to do what he believed was right, regardless of Murphy; because he got after the grafters, in the interest of honest government; and because he advocated legislative reforms to the interest of the people to which Murphy and his gang were opposed. | The impeachment proceeding was a farce and a scandal. It was illegal and unconstitutional. Every lawyer in the State who is not a Tammany lawyer will tell you so. The whole matter was a political frame-up, and has damned Tammany Hall forever. I have gone over the record, and I may say this as a just man, and an old-time Democrat. [...]'Handbill 'Address of Governor Sulzer at the Gettysburg Celebration July 3, 1913.' One copy on WorldCat. ELEVEN: A handbill titled 'At the banquet, of the American Party, Monday night, September 27, 1915, in the Broadway Central Hotel, New York City, Mr. Sulzer spoke in part as follows'. No copy on WorldCat. TWELVE: An undated cutting of article from unnamed newspaper, titled 'Some favorable comments | For the speech and the memorial. | Hon. William Sulzer, Attorney, and ex-Governor of New York who spent 18 years in Congress and who was sponsor for much of the legislation of that period'. THIRTEEN: An undated newspaper cutting of a profile of 'Hon. William Sulzer', from the New York Nationalist.PART B. The twenty-three items in the collection total more than 700pp (Item Nine 12mo, the rest 8vo), and are bound together in a stout red morocco 8vo binding, with 'LIFE AND SPEECHES | WM. SULZER' in gilt on spine. In very good condition, on aged paper, in good binding. Label of the Altland Historical Library on front pastedown (stamped 'Withdrawn'), with manuscript statement that the volume was presented by Sulzer himself, and received on 22 August 1917. (In a final speech on leaving Albany after being driven from office Sulzer appealed to posterity, and this collection is probably part of an effort by him to repair his reputation.) Item One with '9296' in manuscript at the head of the title-page, otherwise no library markings. The twenty-three items preceeded by a full-page black and white photograph of Sulzer by Marceau. None of the items are common, and many are scarce, with no OCLC WorldCat copies of Items One to Four, only one WorldCat copy apiece of Items Five and Six, two copies of Items Seven and Thirteen; three copies of Items Fifteen, Sixteen and Twenty-Two. Only Item Twenty-One in Part B is duplicated in Part A, where it is Item Two.ONE: 'Are you a Patriot?' (New York: The Patriotic Societies). 48pp.TWO: 'American Party | Government Money - For the People - By the People | In Government Banks of the United States | William Sulzer of New York, for President | Col. John M. Parker of Louisiana, for Vice-President' ('Official Bulletin', 1916). 8pp.THREE: 'What Shall We Do About It?' (New York: The American Party). 56pp.FOUR: 'How to Win | For Peace, Progress, Prosperity, Patriotism, and Prohibition' (New York: The Society of Friends). 52pp.FIVE: 'The Republican Party has Failed to Redeem Its Promises. | Speech [...] In the House of Representatives, Thursday, May 19, 1910'. 8pp.SIX: 'For a Graduated Income Tax | Speech [...] in the House of Representatives | Monday, July 12, 1909' (Washington, 1909). 4pp.SEVEN: 'All Honor to our worthy School-Teachers | Speech [...] in the House of Representatives | Monday, January 9, 1911' (Washington, 1911). 4pp.EIGHT: 'Speech [on the Cuban Republic] [...] in the House of Representatives, March 27, 1902' (Washington, 1902). 7pp.NINE: 'William Sulzer | The Popular Candidate for Congress | In the 10th Congressional District' (New York: Perishable Food Consumers' National League, 1910). 8pp.TEN: 'Speech of Congressman Wm. Sulzer at the Ratification Meeting In Tammany Hall | Tuesday Night October 18, 1910 | Stenographically Reported and Printed by the Campaign Committee'. 8pp.ELEVEN: 'Speech [on ship subsidies] [...] in the House of Representatives | March 2, 1909' (Washington, 1909). 4pp.TWELVE: 'I am in Favor of Real Economy. | Speech [...] In the House of Representatives, June 25, 1910'. 3pp.THIRTEEN: 'The Department of Labor - Capital and Labor must be Friends | Speech [...] in the House of Representatives | July 10, 1912' (Washington, 1912). 8pp.FOURTEEN: 'Libraries for the People | [...] Speech [...] in the House of Representatives | March 28, 1910' (Washington, 1910). 4pp.FIFTEEN: 'In Favor of the Recognition of Gen. Juan J. Estrada as the President of the Legitimate Government in Nicaragua. | Speech [...] In the House of Representatives, Tuesday, January 11, 1910'. 3pp.SIXTEEN: 'The President should offer his good offices to bring about peace in Nicaragua | Speech [...] in the House of Representatives | Thursday, May 19, 1910' (Washington, 1910). 4pp.SEVENTEEN: 'Trade With Central America - Guatemala. | Speech [...] In the House of Representatives, Friday, July 9, 1909'. 4pp.EIGHTEEN: 'There is no gift in the Republic too great for the men who saved the Republic. | From a speech [...] In the House of Representatives, April 15, 1910'. 1p.NINETEEN: 'Special Message on Direct Primaries by William Sulzer Governor of the State of New York | Transmitted to the Extraordinary Session of the Legislature June 16th, 1913' (Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, Printers, 1913). 21pp.TWENTY: 'Governor Sulzer's Veto of the Foley-Walker Workmen's Compensation Act'. 6pp.TWENTY-ONE: 'Governor Sulzer The Political Bosses and The Legislature | Statement by the Governor | Statement by his Counsel | The Governor's last Message to the Legislature | Comment of Newspaper Correspondents | The Governor's Speech at Corning'. 57pp.TWENTY-TWO: 'The Solution of the Liquor Problem | Remarks of Hon. William S. Bennet of New York in the House of Representatives | Wednesday, March 8, 1916' (Washington, 1916). 12pp.(Endorsing Sulzer and his position.) TWENTY-THREE: 'Termination of the Treaty of 1832 between the United States and Russia | Hearing before the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives | Monday, December 11, 1911' (Revised Edition. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1911). 336pp.Two vols.