H. Martin Williams

H. Martin Williams (August 7, 1840 – March 8, 1924) was an American Government official, newspaper publisher, lawyer, and educator who served as a reading clerk to the Missouri House of Representatives and as the Reading Clerk of the United States House of Representatives for six years from 1913 to 1919. Williams advocated for progressive causes throughout his lengthy career involved in politics, having served with the Knights of Labor and the Greenback Party.

Early life and political interest H. Martin Williams was born, August 7, 1840, in Knox County, Ohio.

Political career In the 1860 United States presidential election, Williams joined the foray of politics, supporting presidential candidate Stephen A. Douglas against Abraham Lincoln, John C. Breckinridge, and John Bell. Throughout the course of the campaign, Williams made a total of 65 campaign speeches in support of Douglas.

In the early 1800s, Williams became a lecturer with the Knights of Labour, and supported of the New York City mayoral campaign of Henry George, a major proponent of land and tax reform.

On June 5, 1894, Williams was appointed as the inaugural president of the Democratic Editorial Association of Missouri.

During this period, Williams wrote and published numerous academic papers on land monopolies across the United States, which would be impacted and constrained by his proposed Single Tax system.

Service as a Reading Clerk For sixteen of the twenty-four years from 1870 during which Williams published newspapers, he served as the Reading Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives.

In 1910, Williams moved to Washington, D.C., and in 1913, became the Reading Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, succeeding Dennis E. Alward. He served in this capacity for 6 years, retiring in 1919.

Death H. Martin Williams died in Riverdale, Maryland on March 8, 1924, in the home of Jessie L. Lane, his niece.