Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 October 1900 — WILLIAM L. WILSON DEAD. [ARTICLE]

WILLIAM L. WILSON DEAD.

Framer of Tariff Bill and Ex-Postmas-ter General Passes Away. Gen. William L. Wilson, ex-l’ostmas-ter General, soldier, lawyer, educator, a member of live Congresses and author of the famous “Wilson bill," died suddenly at Lexington, Va., Wednesday. Gen. Wilson's death was unexpected and was a great shock bis townsmen. Mr. Wilson was one of the oldest men in Congress during his long service at Washington. William Lyne Wilson was born in Jefferson County, Virginia, May 3, 1843. He was educated at Columbia College and at the University of Virginia; served in the Confederate army and after the war was professor of Latin in Columbian College for six years. He studied law at the same time and when he wns admitted to the bar in 1871 he engaged in practice at Charlestown, W. Va. He was a delegate to the Democratic national convention in 1880 and was a presidential elector in that year. In 1882 he became president of the University of West Virginia. On being elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives he resigned that office and took his seat Dee. 1, 1883. As a member of tile ways and means committee in 1888 he had much to do with framing the "Mills tariff bill, passed in that session, and as chairman of the same committee in 1893 he was the principal author of the tariff bill known popularly by his name. He was nominated and confirmed as Postmaster General to succeed Wilson S. Bissell, resigned.