William S. U'Ren
| William Simon U'Ren | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Oregon House of Representatives | |
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In office 1897–1898 |
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| Constituency | Clackamas County |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 10, 1859 Lancaster, Wisconsin |
| Died | March 5, 1949 (aged 90) Portland, Oregon |
| Political party | People's Party |
| Occupation | Attorney, activist |
William Simon U'Ren (January 10, 1859 – March 5, 1949) was an American lawyer and political activist. U'Ren promoted and helped pass a corrupt practices act, the presidential primary, direct election of U.S. senators. As a progressive activist, U'Ren championed the initiative, referendum, and recall systems in an effort to bring about a Georgist "Single Tax" on the unimproved value of land, but 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.
William Simon U’Ren was born on January 10, 1859 in Lancaster, Wisconsin, the son of immigrants from Cornwall, England. Their surname was originally spelled Uren. U’Ren’s father, William Richard U'Ren was a socialist who worked as a blacksmith that emigrated to America owing to difficult economic conditions.
In America, the elder U'Ren lived as a farmer in the Midwest, working also as a blacksmith when possible. He also taught this trade to his son William. The family was both politically radical — following the journalism of Horace Greeley — but also devout albeit unconventional adherents of Christianity.
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. 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.
U'Ren practiced law for a time in the Colorado towns of Aspen, Gunnison, and Tin Cup. He also became involved in Republican Party politics and edited a newspaper for a time in Tin Cup.
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