Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1894-06-12
Lon. william {. WiIson.


bulletin of the University of Virginia
has the following as one of its lead
ing contributions:
The subject of this sketch, which
must necessarily be brief, was born
in Charlestown, Va, now West Va,
in 1913. He entered the University
of Virginia October LIST. 1860, con-
tinuing until the spring of 81. He
confined his studies to the academic
departments, taking Latin, Mathe-
matics and Moral Philosophy, and
was regarded of u decided literary
taste. one of his fellow-students tes-
tifying TO his admiration ''for the
masterful wav in which young Will
son wrote his Latin exercises.
Leaving the University, he entered
tile Confederate army. The war
over, he became professor in Col
umbiau College, Washing ton, ID. c.:
and in 1882 lie was elected President
of tile West Virginia University A
few months thereafter he was nomi-
mated for Congress, to which lie was
elected in tho fall of 1882. He is
new serving his sixth term as u mem
her of the House of Repre- sentatives,
and it is by his work in that body
that lie has won national reputation.
| Up to tue time of his entrance upon
u political career Mr.. Wilson's la
bors had been chiefly in the field of
letters, aud against all such men a
cry is raised until the contrary is
proven that they are doctrinGires and
| tx, nffSs, Al
affairs of government. Mr.. Wilson
has bravely overcome this criticism
by showing to this country, as Mr..
John Morley has to England, that
the scholar and man of letters may
prove himself most successful pol
\ itician when that word is taken in
| its highest sense. AS the manipula-
| tor of n caucus or q convention, or
an artful manager of the party ma
chinery, with the judicious distribu-
ton of offices rs the oil to keep it in
motion, lie would probably prove Il
lamcntable failure. His strength
lies in another direction. With him
the science of government is study
and his work has been along the line
of principles, the maintenance of
which lie deems essential to the well
fare of tile whole country, He came
to his congressional labors so well
equipped, especially for the econo-
mic questions with which he found
himself confronted, that he over
leaped that period of probation
through which most Congressman
pass, and was soon recognized by
his colleagues as entitled to stand in
the front rank of the House. 1t was
not long before lie found himself in
the inner circle of the party leaders
and invited to seat at the Council
Board with Carlisle. Morrison,
Tucker and Mills. When Carlisle
and Mills were transferred 10 the
Senate. he was by common consent
accorded the front place on the tar
if question on the Democratic side
of the House. Not only in the de-
bates in Congress but on the hastings
and rs writer in the leading maya
zines of the day he has proven him
self an able and aggressive opponent
of the protection theory that reached
high water-mark with the passage of
the Mckinley hill. In the midst of
such busy life lie occasionally
steals time to indulge in literary
work and the delivery of addresses
upon various subjects. His Grafton
on The New Trial of Popular Gov
ernment," delivered before the So
ciety of Alumni of the University of
Virginia, in 1891, showed him most
thoughtful student of the tendencies
of the times. III June, 1892, when
the Democratic Convention assem-
bled at Chicago TO nominate Presi-
dent and to promulgate its platform
of principles. the high honor of per-
manent Chairman fell to Mr.. Wilson.
His eloquent address in taking the
chair was one of the marked features
of the Convention and it was the
saying in the mouths of all who
beard it that bis speech in itself was
platform upon which the party
could well afford to go 10 the country.
The result of the election which
flowed is known to all men. The
over whelming triumph of the Demo-
cratic party was in the nature of an
imperious demand upon that party
to emf r at once upon lhe work of a
genuine and thorough tariff reform.
When the Fifty-third Congress
was organized, and it was announced
that Mr.. Wilson was to he chairman
of the Ways and Means Committee,
igh of relief went up from thous-
ands who saw in this appointment an
earnest of n true, substantial and
intelligent reform of tie tariff by the
party in power. The great york of
his life has been in the bill for the
revision of the present tariff system
reported from the committee of which
he is chairman, and known to the
country as the ''Epiison Bill" No
one contends that this hill is free
from criticism. Tie free traders
and the men of more radical stamp
are displeased at his moderation.
The protectionists, in the nature of
things, denounce it in unmeasured
terms, Tlilst tile so-called "conser-
vatives," and those who believe that
''the tariff is local issue" find
much in it that bears hard on their
faVorite industries. AIR. Wilson has
GapdidlY admitted that the bill was
not by any nsaRs all that he desired
or hoped 10 attain, but there can he
no doubt that it clearly indicates a
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