William Simon U'Ren
William Simon U'Ren | |
---|---|
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives | |
In office 1897–1898 | |
Constituency | Clackamas County |
Personal details | |
Born | Progressive | January 10, 1859
Occupation | Attorney, activist |
William Simon U'Ren (January 10, 1859 – March 8, 1949) was an American lawyer and political activist.[1][2] U'Ren promoted and helped pass a corrupt practices act, the presidential primary, and direct election of U.S. senators. As a progressive, U'Ren championed the initiative, referendum, and recall systems. These measures were also designed to promote democracy and weaken the power of backstage elites. His reforms in Oregon were widely copied in other states. He supported numerous other reforms, such as the interactive model of proportional representation, which was not enacted. He had little success in battles for a Georgist "Single Tax" on the unimproved value of land.
Early life
William Simon U'Ren (accent the last syllable)[1]: 285 was born on January 10, 1859, in Lancaster, Wisconsin,[3] the son of immigrants from Cornwall, England. Their surname was originally spelled Uren.[4] U'Ren's father, William Richard U'Ren was a socialist who worked as a blacksmith and emigrated to America owing to difficult economic conditions.[5]
In America, the elder U'Ren lived as a farmer in the Midwest, working also as a blacksmith when possible.[5] He also taught this trade to his son William.[5] The family was both politically radical — following the journalism of Horace Greeley — but also devout albeit unconventional adherents of Christianity.[5]
At the age of 17 the younger U'Ren left home to make his way in the world, working as a miner in the state of Colorado.[6] U'Ren studied law and business in the evenings. He earned a law degree and was admitted to the Colorado state bar at the age of 21.[6]
U'Ren practiced law for a time in the Colorado towns of Aspen, Gunnison, and Tincup.[6] He also became involved in Republican Party politics and edited a newspaper for a time in Tincup.[6]
A long-time sufferer of asthma, while in Colorado U'Ren contracted tuberculosis, and consequently moved to Hawaii in search of a climate that would make possible his recovery from the frequently fatal illness.[6] It was in Honolulu that U'Ren was exposed to the economic work of Henry George, Progress and Poverty, which was greatly influential upon his thought.[6]
In 1889, the 30-year-old U'Ren relocated to the Pacific Northwest, working for a time as a ranch hand for his parents in Eastern Oregon.[6] U'Ren then moved to the western part of the state, settling in the town of Milwaukie, Oregon, just outside Portland, where he established a law practice. There U'Ren became involved both in reform politics and spiritualism — a major intellectual fad of the era — and became involved with the prominent Luelling family, who were actively interested in both pursuits.[6]
In 1890, he campaigned vigorously for the
Single Tax
In 1892 U'Ren suffered a severe
Direct Legislation League
He was a leader of the
U'Ren and the Direct Legislation League won passage of an initiative and referendum amendment in 1898. Under the constitution of the time, amendments had to be approved by two successive sessions of the legislature. By 1902 the legislature had approved the amendment and voters had ratified it.
Other initiatives
U'Ren associated himself with many initiative efforts, including banning free railroad passes, establishing popular election of
In 1908 U'Ren led the successful effort to amend
U'Ren was a strong proponent of the single tax system advocated by Henry George, but was unsuccessful in getting it adopted in Oregon. After his defeat in a 1914 race for Governor on the single tax platform, he largely withdrew from active politics.[13] In the 1930s U'Ren denounced President Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal, warning against dictatorship and a federal government out of control.[14]
He died of pneumonia at age 90, in Portland, Oregon on March 8, 1949.[2]
Footnotes
- ^ a b Steffens, Lincoln (1909). . Upbuilders. New York: Doubleday, Page & Company.
- ^ a b "William U'Ren, 90, Dies; Oregon Political Reformer". The Evening Star (Washington, D. C.). March 9, 1949. p. A-10. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- ^ White, G. Pawley, A Handbook of Cornish Surnames.
- ^ a b c d Robert D. Johnston, The Radical Middle Class: Populist Democracy and the Question of Capitalism in Progressive Era Portland, Oregon. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2003, p. 128.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Johnston, The Radical Middle Class, pg. 129.
- ISBN 978-1847377609., This quote was written by Seth's wife Sophronia
- ^ Wisconsin Biographical Dictionary
- ^ "Government by Proxy Now: Oregon Plan Would Present Ideas of Representative Lawmaking". New York Times. 1912-06-30. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
- ^ "Initiative, Referendum and Recall: 1912-1914". Oregon Blue Book. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
- ^ Article II Section 16 of Oregon Constitution
- ISBN 0-8262-1457-6)
- ISBN 978-1-4237-1119-3.
- ^ Etulain, 2022.
Further reading
- Alexander, John K. "U’Ren, William Simon (1859-1949)" American National Biography (1999) 22:121-123.
- Etulain, Richard. "William S. U'Ren (1859–1949)" Oregon Encyclopedia (2022) online
- Etulain, Richard W. William S. U'Ren: Oregon Father of the Initiative, Referendum, and Recall (Portland, Chaparral Books, 2020).
- Johnston, Robert D. The Radical Middle Class: Populist Democracy and the Question of Capitalism in Progressive Era Portland (2003), pp 127-137.
- Lindstrom, David Elvin. "W.S. U'Ren and the Fight for Government Reform and the Single Tax: 1908-1912." (Thesis, Portland State U, 1972). online
- McClintock, Thomas C. “Seth Lewelling, William S. U’Ren and the Birth of the Oregon Progressive Movement.” Oregon Historical Quarterly 68#3, 1967, pp. 196–220. online
- Morgan, Murray C. "The Tools of Democracy and the Woolly Rhinoceros Eaters," (Seattle: Junior League of Seattle, March 1972).
- Schuman, David. "The Origin of State Constitutional Direct Democracy: William Simon U'Ren and the Oregon System." Temple Law Review 67 (1994): 947+.
- Steffens, Lincoln. Upbuilders, Chapter 5. New York: Doubleday, Page and Co., 1909.
- Woodward, Robert C. "William S. U'Ren: A progressive era personality." in G. Thomas, Edwards and Carlos A. Schwantes, eds. 'Experiences in a promised land: essays in Pacific Northwest history ( University of Washington Press, 1986) pp. 195-205.
External links
- "William U'Ren Defends Communist Labor Party Members". Retrieved 2008-04-25.