Money and Credit.
New York: F. Tennyson Neely, [1903]. Hardcover. 12mo. Tan cloth with brown front board lettering and rules. viii, 187pp. Near fine. Binding lightly shellacked; small hand-lettered paper shelf label near foot of spine. Item #49746
First edition, tight and handsome, of this survey of economic principles by an author who describes himself as "an humble student of economics" -- although whether this edition precedes a Grafton Press edition published the same year is not known. One reviewer of the time, in the scholarly "Journal of Political Economy," after criticizing Aldrich for having "failed to understand some of the simple elements of the subject," concedes that chapter one (introduction) "is good" and chapter two (coined money) "is still better," finding the section on bimetalism "in excellent style." The author inscribes and signs the front flyleaf quite large: "Compliments of / the author. / W. Aldrich." From the library of William B. Allison (1829-1908), the powerful Iowa Republican who, as U.S. senator from that state (1873-1908), was one of the "big four" who controlled the Senate; as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee for most of those years, he championed tariff legislation and co-authored the Bland-Allison Act of 1878; as member of the Senate Finance Committee he was often courted by U.S. presidents to hold cabinet positions. Early 20th century bookplate on front pastedown notes "This book is part of Allison Memorial Collection Gift of Mrs. Jennie A. Brayton" and until deaccessioned was part of Allison's non-circulating collection at his hometown public library across the street from his Dubuque residence. According to Leland L. Sage in his 1956 biography "William Boyd Allison: A Study in Practical Politics," Allison owned "hundreds of books on government, economics, history, banking, finance, and the tariff [as well as] volumes of American and English literature. An omnivorous reader, Allison doubtless read most of these volumes, if only for relaxation from the strain that accompanied his efforts to solve the many problems facing the Nation...." A most interesting presentation copy.
Price: $395.00