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'''William Simon U'Ren''' (January 10, 1859 - March 5, 1949) was a political activist, agitator, lawyer, and politician from the state of Oregon.  He is best remembered as the Father of the [[Initiative, Referendum, and Recall]],<ref>[http://www.iandrinstitute.org/Oregon.htm Oregon]</ref> and has been given the nickname "''Referendum U'Ren''".<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=2oFIAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA19 Direct Legislation Record, Volumes 1-10]</ref>

'''William Simon U'Ren''' (January 10, 1859 - March 5, 1949) was a political activist, agitator, lawyer, and politician from the state of Oregon.  He is best remembered as the Father of the [[Initiative, Referendum, and Recall]],<ref>[http://www.iandrinstitute.org/Oregon.htm Oregon]</ref> and has been given the nickname "''Referendum U'Ren''".<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=2oFIAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA19 Direct Legislation Record, Volumes 1-10]</ref>

==Early Life==

==Early life==

William Simon U'Ren was born January 10, 1859, in Lancaster, Wisconsin, the son of William Richard and Frances Jane (Ivey) U'Ren.  He was educated in the public schools, after which he took a business college course and studied law at Denver, Colorado, where he was admitted to the bar in 1881.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=XvYUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA649 Portland, Oregon, Its History and Builders]</ref>  He came from a family of blacksmiths, and was himself taught the trade.

William Simon U'Ren was born January 10, 1859, in Lancaster, Wisconsin, the son of William Richard and Frances Jane (Ivey) U'Ren.  He was educated in the public schools, after which he took a business college course and studied law at Denver, Colorado, where he was admitted to the bar in 1881.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=XvYUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA649 Portland, Oregon, Its History and Builders]</ref>  He came from a family of blacksmiths, and was himself taught the trade.

U'Ren was very effective while a public figure.  According to a 1906 editorial, "In Oregon, the state government is divided into four departments -- the executive, judicial, legislative and Mr. U'Ren, and it is still an open question which exerts the most power."<ref>[http://www.oregonlive.com/O/index.ssf/2011/03/william_uren_gave_oregon_syste.html William U'Ren gave Oregon system of politics by the people]</ref>

U'Ren was very effective while a public figure.  According to a 1906 editorial, "In Oregon, the state government is divided into four departments -- the executive, judicial, legislative and Mr. U'Ren, and it is still an open question which exerts the most power."<ref>[http://www.oregonlive.com/O/index.ssf/2011/03/william_uren_gave_oregon_syste.html William U'Ren gave Oregon system of politics by the people]</ref>

==Personal Life==

==Personal life==

Married March 6, 1901, to Mary Beharrell.<ref name=bench />

Married March 6, 1901, to Mary Beharrell.<ref name=bench />

==Quotes==

==Quotes==

<blockquote>* I read <i>Progress and Poverty</i> in 1882, and I went just as crazy over the Single Tax idea as any one else ever did. I knew I wanted the Single Tax, and that was about all I did know. I thought I could get it by agitation, and was often disgusted with a world that refused to be agitated for what I wanted. In 1882 (sic) I learned what the Initiative and Referendum is, and then I saw the way to the Single Tax. SO I QUIT TALKING SINGLE TAX, not because I was any the less in favor of it but because I saw that the first job was to get the Initiative and Referendum, so that the people independently of the Legislature, may get what they want rather than take what the Legislature will let them have.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=gqBJAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA92 The Initiative and Referendum: Its Folly, Fallacies, and Failure]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=JQnZAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA21 Single Tax Conference, Held in New York City, November 19 and 20, 1910, Under the Auspices of the Joseph Fels Fund Commission, Volume 1]</ref></blockquote>

<blockquote>* I read ''Progress and Poverty'' in 1882, and I went just as crazy over the Single Tax idea as any one else ever did. I knew I wanted the Single Tax, and that was about all I did know. I thought I could get it by agitation, and was often disgusted with a world that refused to be agitated for what I wanted. In 1882 (sic) I learned what the Initiative and Referendum is, and then I saw the way to the Single Tax. SO I QUIT TALKING SINGLE TAX, not because I was any the less in favor of it but because I saw that the first job was to get the Initiative and Referendum, so that the people independently of the Legislature, may get what they want rather than take what the Legislature will let them have.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=gqBJAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA92 The Initiative and Referendum: Its Folly, Fallacies, and Failure]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=JQnZAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA21 Single Tax Conference, Held in New York City, November 19 and 20, 1910, Under the Auspices of the Joseph Fels Fund Commission, Volume 1]</ref></blockquote>

<blockquote>* Blacksmithing is my trade, and it has always given color to my view of things. When I was young, I saw some of the evils in the conditions of life, and I wanted to fix them. I couldn't. There were no tools. We had tools to do almost anything in the shop. Beautiful tools. Wonderful. And so in other trades, arts and professions; in everything but government.<br />

<blockquote>* Blacksmithing is my trade, and it has always given color to my view of things. When I was young, I saw some of the evils in the conditions of life, and I wanted to fix them. I couldn't. There were no tools. We had tools to do almost anything in the shop. Beautiful tools. Wonderful. And so in other trades, arts and professions; in everything but government.<br />

In government, the common trade of all men and the basis of all social life, men worked still with old tools, and with old laws, with constitutions and charters which hindered more than they helped. Men suffered from this. There were lawyers enough: many of our ablest men are lawyers. Why didn't some of them invent legislative implements to help the people govern themselves? Why had we no tool makers for democracy?<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=bd8pAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA288 Upbuilders], p. 287-288</ref></blockquote>

In government, the common trade of all men and the basis of all social life, men worked still with old tools, and with old laws, with constitutions and charters which hindered more than they helped. Men suffered from this. There were lawyers enough: many of our ablest men are lawyers. Why didn't some of them invent legislative implements to help the people govern themselves? Why had we no tool makers for democracy?<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=bd8pAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA288 Upbuilders], p. 287-288</ref></blockquote>

==See Also==

==See also==

* [[Initiatives and referendums in the United States]]

* [[Initiatives and referendums in the United States]]

* [[Initiative]]

* [[Initiative]]

{{reflist|2}}

{{reflist|2}}

==External Links==

==External links==

* [https://books.google.com/books?id=XZpEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA235 The Initiative and Referendum and how Oregon got them], by Burton J. Hendrick, McClure's, July 1911

* [https://books.google.com/books?id=XZpEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA235 The Initiative and Referendum and how Oregon got them], by Burton J. Hendrick, McClure's, July 1911

[[Category:Progressive Era]]

[[Category:Progressive Era]]