Life of Schuyler Colfax.
New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1886. Hardcover. 8vo. Dark green cloth with gilt spine lettering/rules. 535pp. Tissue-guarded frontispieces. Very good. Tight and internally quite choice, with binding similar but with lightly-shellacked spine bearing hand-lettered paper shelf label near foot. Item #50931
Handsome first edition of this thick biography that followed the 1885 death of the vice president in U.S. Grant's first administration, an Indiana representative and Speaker of the House. From the collection 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 records "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. Notes 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.... 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...." The front flyleaf bears a huge, bold presentation inscription from Hollister in black ink: "Hon WB Allison / Dubuque Ia / Compliments of / the Author." Surprisingly, Allison does not appear in this book, though he and fellow Republican Colfax knew each other in Congress and, more importantly, both were implicated in the Credit Mobilier scandal of 1872-73 in which officials were charged with receiving cash and/or Union Pacific Railroad stocks in exchange for legislation favorable to the new transcontinental railroad project. Allison emerged unscathed despite questionable participation, but Colfax (by then vice president) suffered a tarnished reputation -- he was not asked to join Grant's ticket for a second term and his political career ended abruptly. How strange, how intriguing, that Hollister (1834-92), an internal revenue collector who authored and edited this and other books, nowhere that we can find mentions Allison in this book, not in the index nor even in the two chapters devoted to the famed scandal. One suspects that the now Senator Allison may have been relieved.
Price: $750.00