William Lyne Wilson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William Lyne Wilson (May 3, 1843 – October 17, 1900) was a U.S. political figure. He served as the Postmaster General between 1895 and 1897 and in the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia from 1883 to 1894. He was the primary author of the Wilson Gorman tariff of 1894, though the logrolling that raised the rates disgusted him.

He was a prominent Democrat but broke with the party in 1896 in protest against the free silver platform of William Jennings Bryan. Instead, like many Grover Cleveland Democrats, he supported the National Democratic Party (United States) third ticket. The new party, nicknamed the Gold Democrats, championed the gold standard, limited government, and opposed protectionism.

During his time as Postmaster General, future Secretary of War Newton D. Baker served as his secretary.

Preceded by Wilson S. Bissell

United States Postmaster General 1895–1897

Succeeded by James A. Gary

[edit] References

• Summers; Festus P. William L. Wilson and Tariff Reform, a Biography 1953
• William L. Wilson; The Cabinet Diary of William L. Wilson, 1896-1897 1957
• David T. Beito and Linda Royster Beito, "Gold Democrats and the Decline of Classical Liberalism, 1896-1900,"Independent Review 4 (Spring 2000), 555-75.

United States Postmaster Generals

Cabinet Level: Osgood • Pickering • Habersham • G Granger • Meigs • McLean • Barry • Kendall • Niles • F Granger • Wickliffe • Johnson • Collamer • Hall • Hubbard • Campbell • A Brown • Holt • King • Blair • Dennison • Randall • Creswell • Marshall • Jewell • Tyner • Key • Maynard • James • Howe • Gresham • Hatton • Vilas • Dickinson • Wanamaker • Bissell • Wilson • Gary • Smith • Payne • Wynne • Cortelyou • Meyer • Hitchcock • Burleson • Hays • Work • New • W Brown • Farley • Walker • Hannegan • Donaldson • Summerfield • Day • Gronouski • O'Brien • Watson • Blount Non-Cabinet Level: Blount • Klassen • Bailar • Bolger • Carlin • Casey • Tisch • Frank • Runyon • Henderson • Potter