1877 Senate Pamphlet “Shall Fraud Succeed” Wallace on Louisiana Electoral Crisis For Sale

Original 1877 United States Senate speech pamphlet titled “Shall Fraud Succeed.”, delivered by Hon. William A. Wallace, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, on Monday, February 19, 1877, during the height of the 1876–1877 presidential election crisis.

This confrontational address focuses on the disputed Louisiana electoral returns and the actions of the Electoral Commission. Wallace directly challenges the legitimacy of the process that resulted in the election of Rutherford B. Hayes over Samuel J. Tilden, despite Tilden’s popular-vote victory.

The pamphlet includes formal objections presented in the joint meeting of Congress and names the Senators and Representatives who signed those objections. With bold headings such as “Fraud Has Won! The People Must Agitate!”, the text reflects contemporaneous protest literature issued while the outcome of the presidency was still being actively contested on the Senate floor.

This document represents a primary-source account from one of the most contentious constitutional moments in American history, produced amid ongoing debate rather than retrospective analysis.

Details:
Date: 1877
Format: Original printed Senate speech pamphlet
Speaker: Hon. William A. Wallace (Pennsylvania)
Subject: Louisiana electoral votes, Electoral Commission, 1876 election
Era: Reconstruction / post–Civil War politics

Condition:
Period paper with noticeable wear throughout, including edge wear, chipping with small losses, and heavy wear along the spine fold, which is approximately three-quarters detached. Age toning and handling wear present. Text remains legible and complete. No modern repairs. Please review images carefully for full condition details.

An important piece of 19th-century American political and election-law history, relating to the disputed 1876 presidential election and Reconstruction-era Senate proceedings.

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