Sereno Elisha Payne

Payne, Sereno Elisha (sərē'nō) , 1843–1914, American legislator, b. Hamilton, N.Y. He was admitted to the bar (1866), practiced at Auburn, N.Y., and was active in Republican politics. He served (1883–87, 1889–1914) in Congress and was long a member of the Committee on Ways and Means, becoming chairman in 1899. Payne, a staunch though not extreme protectionist, was active in fostering Republican tariff legislation. He helped draft the McKinley Tariff Act (1890), the Dingley Act (1897), and the Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act (1909).