This slim volume collects essays, speeches, and letters written by Oregon political reformer and one-term legislator William S. U'Ren. Historian Richard Etulain's twenty-five-page biographical overview that precedes these primary documents is the most comprehen- sive coverage of U'Ren's life and impact on the state's politics to date. In the overview, Etulain calls U'Ren "one of the state's chief political thinkers and activists," who was known for promoting the Initiative and the Referen- dum, both of which were political reforms that Oregon voters adopted in 1902. Despite his short career as an elected official, U'Ren was Influential in Oregon and well beyond. His writing covers advocacy for the single tax and reflections on the efficacy of political reforms. Also included in the volume are the few photographs of U'Ren that exist, a short historiographic essay by Etulain, and Etulain's call for future research.

x, 185 pages : photographs ; 23 cm