The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-08-29
THE nEAREK OF rHE HOUSE:
William Il. Wilson, of West Virginia
and His Record

OF ways and means has always ranked
as next in importance to the Speaker
ship, not only because of the magni.
tude of the questions which come be.
fore the committee, but also because
the chairman is usually accepted as
the leader of the majority on the floor.
1t may be doubted whether an excep.
tion should always be made in favor OF
the Speakership. After the commit
tees are appointed, the presiding officer
may be said to retire to q judicial posi-
tion. He does much to give tone to the
proceedings OF the body over which he
presides, but he necessarily preserves
towards these proceedings a non-par-
tisan and neutral attitude. He cannot
cept in the intervals of business. The
functions Of a leader, whether of the
majority or of the opposition, are diff
| ferent from these. The success or
failure of measures often rests with
him-some times the fate of parties.
There have been thirty-six different
chairmen of this committee since its
| first establishment in 1889. The most
eminent names on the list are those of
John Randolph, of Virginia, from 1902
to 1905, and again from 1927 to 1928 ;
Langdon Cheves, of South Carolina
1928; Julian G. Verplanck, of New
York, 1929; James K. Polk, of Ten
nessee, 1833-35; Millard Fillmore, of
New York, 1841-43; John Sherman, of
Ohio, 1861-63, and Thaddeus Stevens
of Pennsylvania, 1S63-65.
| Since then the position has been
held successively by Justin S. Morrill,,
of Vermont, Robert @. Schenck, OF
Ohio, and Henry L. Dawes, of Massa-
| Morrison, of Illinois, and Fernando
| Wood, of New York, Democrats; Will
liam d. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, Re-
publican; William r. Morrison, of
| Illinois, and Roger Q. Mills, of Texas,
Democrats; William Mckinley, of
Ohio, Republican, and William M.
Springer, of Illinois, Democrat.
The Southern States have had the
craftsmanship Of the committee during
much more than half the period since
the Government has been in existence
and South Carolina have each had the
| office longer than any other State
South Carolina for fifteen years, and
| Virginia for fourteen years. To Penn
sylvania it has fallen for ten years only
Thomas Fitzsimmons, of this State,
having been the first chairman, in
1889; Joseph Clay, 1867; j. CLANCY
Jones, 1S57-60; Thaddeus Stevens,
l863-65 and William D. Kelley. 1888.
| Until Fernando Wood was made chair
man in 1877 New York had not had the
chairmanship since 1843,- when Mr..
Fillmore retired. Since 1856 the head
of the ways and means committee has
been taken from the West and North
| except during the 50th Congress
(1987-89, when Roger Q. Mills of Texas
| filed the position.
The Hon. VIM. l.. Wilson, the new
| chairman of the committee on ways and
means, was born in Jefferson County,
Va, now West Virginia, on May 3,
lS43, and is consequently now in his
| 31st year. He received his education
bia College, District of Columbia,
from which institution he was gradu-
ated in 1860, and at the University of
Virginia, near Charlottesville, Albe-
marie County.
On the outbreak of the rebellion, in
| 1861, young Wilson, who was then but
| Is years old, entered the Confederate
army. After the close of war he was
for several years professor in Colum-
bia College, during which time he
graduated in its law school, and on the
overthrow of the lawyers test oath in
| West Virginia resigned and entered
upon the practice of law ut Charles
town, where he has ever since resided.
His growth in public estimation as q
careful lawyer and forcible speaker
was rapid.
Like large proportion of the mem
bers of the legal profession he gradu-
ally drifted into politics. In 1880 he
was "a delegate to the National Demo
cratic Convention at Cincinnati and an
elector at large on the Hancock ticket
subsequently he was chosen president
| of the West Virginia University and
| optaro6 nppp tho Iutios nf that nffica
September 4, 1892. but on September
| 10 was nominated for seat in the 48th
! Congress, and was elected as o Democrat
| receiving IL 1865 votes, against ii 1886
votes for T.. w. Mason, Republican.
He resigned the presidency Of the State
University with the beginning of his
Congressional term. In 1883 he re-
ceived the degree of LII. d. from the
Columbian University.
Mr.. Wilson has been continued q
member of the House ever since, but
his plurality last year was only 1857.
He entered Congress at the time when
the revenue reformers proposed to
make one of their number Speaker of
the House of Representatives. The
contest was between Mr.. Carlisle and
Mr.. Randall. 1t was assumed that
West Virginia was protection State,
and that it's Representatives would
vote for Mr.. Randall. Mr.. Wilson dis
appointed this expectation by voting
for Mr.. Carlisle, and induced his dele
cation to follow him. Then he "began
to hear from home," but he proceeded
steadily in the way he had chosen
voted squarely for the Morrison bill
and was reelected without difficulty
In December, 1887, at the opening
of the 50th Congress, Speaker Carlisle
appointed Mr.. Wilson to place or
the committee on ways and means, MIR
Mills, of Texas, being chairman. He
lost his place on the committee wher
the Republicans secured the Speaker
ship in 1880, but was reappointed by
Speaker Crisp in December, 1891
standing fourth on the list of members
He now secures the chairmanship after
only four years. service on the com
mittee. During the discussion of the
Mills tariff bill in the 50th Congress ht
delivered u speech in favor of tariff re
form, which was universally acknowl
edged to be the ablest representation
of that side of the question which wa!
heard on the floors of Congress. TIL,
speech showed that he had thorough,
mastered the literature OF the tariff
American and foreign, and the politi
cal history of the country, and
brought him into national prominence
In June, 1892, he was made the per
manent chairman of the Democratic
National Convention at Chicago. Oh
taking the chair on that occasion h