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Up for sale is a rare original 1911 U.S. Senate letter signed by Senator Reed Smoot, accompanied by original newspaper obituary clippings documenting his long political career and death in 1941. This piece offers a fascinating window into early 20th-century American politics, particularly the Republican Party’s role in shaping U.S. tariff policy.
The Letter
Date: May 22, 1911
From: Senator Reed Smoot (Chairman, Senate Committee on Printing)
To: Thomas O. Marvin, Asst. Secretary of the Home Market Club, Boston, MA
Content: Smoot acknowledges receipt of Marvin’s letter and a clipping addressed to Senator Gallinger, thanking him and offering his best wishes.
Signed: Reed Smoot boldly in ink at the close.
This correspondence highlights Smoot’s close connections with the Home Market Club of Boston, an influential Republican-leaning organization supporting protective tariffs—a policy issue central to Smoot’s career.
The Newspaper Clippings
Obituary and feature articles from The Boston Herald, February 1941.
Headline: “Reed Smoot Dead at 79 – Tariff Act Author in Senate 30 Years”
Covers his career as co-author of the infamous Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which drastically raised U.S. tariffs and is often cited as worsening the Great Depression.
Includes photographs and additional death notices.
Historical Significance
Reed Smoot (1862–1941) served as U.S. Senator from Utah for three decades. Beyond his Senate career, he was also a prominent leader in the LDS Church. In Congress, he gained lasting notoriety as co-sponsor of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff, one of the most consequential and controversial pieces of economic legislation in U.S. history. His work cemented his role as a central figure in the Republican Party’s tariff and fiscal policies.
The letter’s recipient, Thomas O. Marvin, served as assistant secretary of the Home Market Club—a Boston organization that played a key role in rallying support for Republican protectionist policies. Their correspondence reflects the Republican–Democrat rivalry of the era, with debates over tariffs, trade, and economic nationalism defining the party lines.
Condition
Letter is well-preserved on official U.S. Senate Committee on Printing letterhead, with typewritten text and a strong ink signature.
Newspaper clippings show expected toning and fragility from age, but remain legible and suitable for framing alongside the letter.
A Collector’s Treasure
This is an outstanding piece for collectors of:
Political autographs
U.S. Senate history
Tariff and economic policy ephemera
Republican/Democrat rivalry memorabilia
LDS Church leadership history
Offered here for the first time in over 70 years, directly from a private collection.
