William E. Mason (American politician)

William Ernest Mason (July 7, 1850 – June 16, 1921) was a Republican U.S. Representative and Senator from Illinois. He was the father of Winnifred Sprague Mason Huck.

William Ernest Mason
United States Senator
from Illinois
In office
March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1903
Preceded byJohn M. Palmer
Succeeded byAlbert J. Hopkins
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois
In office
March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1891
Preceded byJames Hugh Ward
Succeeded byAllan C. Durborow, Jr.
Constituency3rd district
In office
March 4, 1917 – June 16, 1921
Preceded byWilliam E. Williams
Succeeded byWinnifred S. M. Huck
ConstituencyAt-large
Member of the Illinois Senate
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Personal details
Born(1850-07-07)July 7, 1850
Franklinville, New York
DiedJune 16, 1921(1921-06-16) (aged 70)
Washington, D.C.
Political partyRepublican
Signature

Mason was born in Franklinville, New York. His family moved to Bentonsport, Iowa when he was 8. He attended Birmingham College. After graduating, he taught at Bentonsport Academy, which he had previously attended. After studying law, he moved to Chicago in 1872 and was admitted to the bar.[1]

Mason was elected to Congress in 1886 and again two years later. Following his defeat in 1890, he returned to law practice in Chicago in 1891 but was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1896. After one term, he returned to Chicago. He served three more terms in the House from 1917 until his death. Mason often was an opponent of U.S. intervention in foreign affairs. He delivered a fiery speech advocating self-governance for the Philippines during the Philippine–American War at the turn of the 20th century: "You cannot govern the Philippine Islands without taxing them. You have not yet their consent to tax them. You propose again to tax them without representation. Look out for tea parties"[2] On April 5, 1917, he was one of 50 representatives who voted against declaring war on Germany.[3]

He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Waukegan, Illinois.

See also

References
  1. "Mason, William Ernest". History, Art & Archives. U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  2. Speech of Hon. Wm E. Mason, of Illinois, in the Senate of the United States, Tuesday, January 10, 1899. Govt. Print. Off. 1899. Retrieved September 12, 2020 – via Hathi Trust Digital Library.
  3. "U.S. House of Representatives tally sheet for the Declaration of War on Germany, April 6, 1917". U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
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