Susan B. Anthony’s Appeal of Fine Rejected by Senate Committee

"[Women's Suffrage] Susan B. Anthony. Mr. Tremain, from the Committee on the Judiciary, Submitted the Following Report:…", U.S. Government

Susan B. Anthony was convicted and fined for voting in the 1872 Presidential election. She insisted she had the right under the 14th equal protection amendment to vote and that the judge had erred in instructing the jury to convict her. She refused to pay the $100 fine, famously declaring she would “never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty.” The Committee here denied her appeal to remit the fine and pointed out she had not paid the fine or sought a pardon and that remitting the fine by an act of Congress was tantamount to a pardon. The report includes a letter from the U.S. Attorney defending the judge’s questionable actions and the conviction. The report concludes with the remarkable false statement that “since the discussion of this question has arisen in the committee the President has pardoned Susan B. Anthony for the offense for which she was convicted, and this seems…to furnish a conclusive reason why no further action should be taken by the Judiciary Committee.” Anthony had not requested a pardon because she believed she had done no wrong. However, she did support the pardons granted by President Grant in March, 1874 for the election officials who had allowed her to vote. The Senate Committee erroneously assumed the pardons included Anthony. In 2020 President Trump issued a controversial pardon to Anthony. No previous sales records located for this scarce item. Disbound, 8 pages.

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