William S. U'Ren
Encyclopedia
William Simon U'Ren was the father of Oregon
's Initiative process. A progressive during the turn of the 20th century, he was instrumental in getting initiative, recall and referendum included in Oregon's government.
, the son of Cornish
immigrants from Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. Their surname was originally spelled Uren. U’Ren’s father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were blacksmith
s, as were their ancestors.
In 1885 he earned a law degree in Denver, Colorado
. Told he would die of tuberculosis
, he moved to Hawaii
and worked as a sugar cane boss. Soon, however, he moved to California
, and by 1889, he had settled in Milwaukie, Oregon
, where he established a law practice. In 1890, he campaigned vigorously for the Australian Ballot, which won in 1891. It was while he was involved in this campaign that he attended a séance
, and met Mrs. Laure Durkee.
attack and gave up his law practice. Mrs. Durkee knew that the Lewellings, a local fruit growing family, had often offered lodging and care to hard luck cases, such as U’Ren was. His health was slowly restored at the Lewellings farm. The Lewellings were reformers (with one family member writing “good government being to us what religion is to most people”). U’ren was already a convert to progressive causes, especially the Single Tax proposed by Henry George
. Albert Lewelling gave him a copy of James W. Sullivan
’s book Direct Legislation by the Citizenship Through the Initiative and Referendum (1892) and U’ren decided to invest his time and effort in the cause.
U’Ren brought together representatives of the state Farmer’s Alliance and labor unions to form the Direct Legislation League
, of which he was named secretary. He had an express goal of implementing the three legs of direct democracy – Initiative
, Referendum
, and Recall
. In 1894 U’Ren was elected chairman at the Populist Party convention, and won approval of an Initiative & Referendum platform plank. In 1896 U’Ren won a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives
; however, in 1897 the House failed to organize
, only holding a short special session
in the fall of 1898. U'Ren worked the legislature during his term, without success, to gain approval for Initiative & Referendum. After his 1897 defeat, U’Ren reorganized the Oregon Direct Legislation League to broaden the base of Initiative, Referendum & Recall support. The new executive committee included bankers, the president of the state bar association
, and Portland Oregonian editor Harvey W. Scott
.
U’Ren and the Direct Legislation League won passage of an Initiative & 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.
, and establishing the first presidential primary in the United States
. Two of the more significant early initiatives he sponsored were a 1906 constitutional amendment extending initiative and referendum powers to local jurisdictions, and a 1908 amendment that gave voters power to recall elected officials. In 1912, he proposed an amendment to the Oregon Constitution
to essentially weigh each legislator's vote on proposed bills according to the number of votes he received in the last election; this measure failed by a large margin.
In 1908 U'Ren led the successful effort to amend the Oregon state constitution to accommodate proportional representation that would provide voters with first, second and third choices on the ballot. He said, "Real representative government is impossible unless all political parties, minorities as well as majorities, are thus fairly represented in the legislature in proportion to the number of supporters that each has among the voters."
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.
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
's Initiative process. A progressive during the turn of the 20th century, he was instrumental in getting initiative, recall and referendum included in Oregon's government.
Early life
William Simon U’Ren was born on 10 January 1859 in Lancaster, WisconsinLancaster, Wisconsin
Lancaster is a city in and the county seat of Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 4,070.-History:...
, the son of Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
immigrants from Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Their surname was originally spelled Uren. U’Ren’s father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
s, as were their ancestors.
In 1885 he earned a law degree in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. Told he would die of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, he moved to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and worked as a sugar cane boss. Soon, however, he moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and by 1889, he had settled in Milwaukie, Oregon
Milwaukie, Oregon
Milwaukie is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A very small portion of the city extends into Multnomah County. The population was 20,291 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1848 on the banks of the Willamette River, the city, known as the Dogwood City of the West, was incorporated in...
, where he established a law practice. In 1890, he campaigned vigorously for the Australian Ballot, which won in 1891. It was while he was involved in this campaign that he attended a séance
Séance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
, and met Mrs. Laure Durkee.
Oregon politics
In 1892 U’Ren suffered a severe asthmaAsthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
attack and gave up his law practice. Mrs. Durkee knew that the Lewellings, a local fruit growing family, had often offered lodging and care to hard luck cases, such as U’Ren was. His health was slowly restored at the Lewellings farm. The Lewellings were reformers (with one family member writing “good government being to us what religion is to most people”). U’ren was already a convert to progressive causes, especially the Single Tax proposed by Henry George
Henry George
Henry George was an American writer, politician and political economist, who was the most influential proponent of the land value tax, also known as the "single tax" on land...
. Albert Lewelling gave him a copy of James W. Sullivan
James W. Sullivan
James W. Sullivan was an American art director. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the film Around the World in 80 Days.-Selected filmography:...
’s book Direct Legislation by the Citizenship Through the Initiative and Referendum (1892) and U’ren decided to invest his time and effort in the cause.
U’Ren brought together representatives of the state Farmer’s Alliance and labor unions to form the Direct Legislation League
Direct Legislation League
The Oregon Direct Legislation League was an organization of political activists founded by William S. U'Ren in the U.S. state of Oregon in 1898. U'Ren had been politically activated by reading the influential 1893 book Direct Legislation Through the Initiative and Referendum, and the group's...
, of which he was named secretary. He had an express goal of implementing the three legs of direct democracy – Initiative
Initiative
In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
, Referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
, and Recall
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
. In 1894 U’Ren was elected chairman at the Populist Party convention, and won approval of an Initiative & Referendum platform plank. In 1896 U’Ren won a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
; however, in 1897 the House failed to organize
19th Oregon Legislative Assembly
The 19th Oregon Legislative Assembly was scheduled to convene January 11, 1897. The Senate organized, but the House failed to do so. In the House, two factions formed, neither of which had enough members to constitute a quorum....
, only holding a short special session
Special session
In a legislature, a special session is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year , such as outlining the government's budget for the next fiscal year, biennium, or other period...
in the fall of 1898. U'Ren worked the legislature during his term, without success, to gain approval for Initiative & Referendum. After his 1897 defeat, U’Ren reorganized the Oregon Direct Legislation League to broaden the base of Initiative, Referendum & Recall support. The new executive committee included bankers, the president of the state bar association
Oregon State Bar
The Oregon State Bar is a government agency in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulates the legal profession. The public corporation is part of the Oregon Judicial Department...
, and Portland Oregonian editor Harvey W. Scott
Harvey W. Scott
Harvey Whitefield Scott was an American pioneer, newspaper editor, and historian.Scott was born in on a farm in Illinois and migrated to Oregon with his family in 1852, settling in Yamhill County. He and his family moved near Olympia, Washington in 1853. At age 18, he fought in the American Indian...
.
U’Ren and the Direct Legislation League won passage of an Initiative & Referendum amendment in 1898. Under the constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
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 before his death, at age 90, in Portland on March 5, 1949, including banning free railroad passes, popular election of U.S. SenatorsUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, and establishing the first presidential primary in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Two of the more significant early initiatives he sponsored were a 1906 constitutional amendment extending initiative and referendum powers to local jurisdictions, and a 1908 amendment that gave voters power to recall elected officials. In 1912, he proposed an amendment to the Oregon Constitution
Oregon Constitution
The Oregon Constitution is the governing document of the U.S. state of Oregon, originally enacted in 1857. As amended the current state constitution contains eighteen sections, beginning with a bill of rights. This contains most of the rights and privileges granted in the United States Bill of...
to essentially weigh each legislator's vote on proposed bills according to the number of votes he received in the last election; this measure failed by a large margin.
In 1908 U'Ren led the successful effort to amend the Oregon state constitution to accommodate proportional representation that would provide voters with first, second and third choices on the ballot. He said, "Real representative government is impossible unless all political parties, minorities as well as majorities, are thus fairly represented in the legislature in proportion to the number of supporters that each has among the voters."
U'Ren was a strong proponent of the single tax system
Georgism
Georgism is an economic philosophy and ideology that holds that people own what they create, but that things found in nature, most importantly land, belong equally to all...
advocated by Henry George
Henry George
Henry George was an American writer, politician and political economist, who was the most influential proponent of the land value tax, also known as the "single tax" on land...
, 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.