32 MARYLAND MANUAL.

this county and in Virginia, and has been eminently successful.
As a result of his energy, activity and business capacity, Colonel
Smith is to-day a wealthy man, though in the prime of life.
The firm, of which he is a member, has been of great service,
largely through his instrumentality, to the laboring people of
Snow Hill and Worcester county, giving employment to a large
number of laborers and other employees. Nor has he overlooked
the interests of the farmers, for it was through his influence that
the large canning factory of which he is owner, was located in
Snow Hill.

In 1887, he helped to organize the First National Bank of
Snow Hill, and was elected its president, a position he still holds.
Though so actively engaged in business pursuits, he has yet
had time to indulge a natural fondness for politics. For many
years he has been prominent and influential in the politics of his
county and State, and during these years, no man has served his
friends in politics more faithfully and unselfishly than he. He
has been many times a delegate to State and Congressional con-
ventions. In the State convention of 1887, he was an earnest
supporter of Governor Jackson, and did more, perhaps, than any
other man in bringing about that gentleman's nomination. In
1880 he was a delegate to the Congressional convention which
met in Salisbury and aided in securing the nomination of Mr.
Covington, after a hard fought battle. At the, next conven-
tion, in 1882, he again was one of Mr. Covington's delegates,
and that gentleman was again nominated for Congress—and
again in 1884, Col. Smith with others, represented Mr. Cov-
ington in the Cambridge Convention, and did all in his power to
bring about his nomination, but owing to the feeling prevailing
in that district against a third term, his efforts were unavailing.
Finding it impossible to bring about Mr. Covington's nomina-
tion for a third term, the Worcester delegation, with Col. Smith
as their leader, made a tight for Charles H. Gibson, and secured
the latter's nomination.

In the winter of 188d, during the contest over the United
States Senatorship in the Legislature, Col. Smith was a warm
advocate and supporter of the late Senator Wilson, and aided
largely in bringing about the latter's election.

In 1889, at the earnest solicitation of Senator Wilson, Col.
Smith—though often begged to accept official positions before—
consented for the first time to become a candidate for public
office. He was unanimously nominated for State Senator by the
Democratic County Convention, and was afterwards elected to
that office by a large majority. In the contest of the Legislature
of 1890 over the United States Senatorship, Col. Smith was the
acknowledged leader of Senator Wilson's forces, and his efforts,
as everyone knows, were crowned with victory.