A bill to maintain the legal tender silver dollar at parity with gold - 1902

At the time when the Speech of Hon. Ebenezer J. Hill, of Connecticut, on H.R.7645: A bill to maintain the legal tender silver dollar at parity with gold, and to increase the subsidiary coinage, in the House of Representatives, Tuesday, February 18, 1902 was delivered, the country's currency was pegged to both gold and silver. The bimetallic ratio between these metals was both an economic and political issue, and of such concern that Mr. Hill felt free to interrupt ongoing House discussions on a bill related to funding of the Indian Department and treaties with Indian tribes to pursue the resolution of the currency issues.

The speech is contained in a 15 page booklet, without covers, that measures approximately 6 x 9 ½ inches. The pages are tanned, but the text is clear and easily read. There is some staining along the edges of some pages. The item is a first edition, as printed in Washington, D.C. in 1902. The overall condition of the booklet is good.

The illustrations accompanying this description show the title page of the booklet and the first and last pages of the speech.

Ebenezer J. Hill (August 4, 1845 - September 27, 1917) was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut. Hill was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth and to the eight succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1895-March 3, 1913). He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Treasury (Sixty-first Congress). He was an unsuccessful candidate in 1912 for reelection to the Sixty-third Congress. Hill was elected to the Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth Congresses and served from March 4, 1915, until his death. [Wikipedia]