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Charles Emory Smith

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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CHARLES EMORY SMITH (1842-1908), American journalist and political leader, was born in Mansfield, Connecticut, on the 18th of February 1842. In 1849 his family removed to Albany, New York, where he attended the public schools and the Albany Academy. He graduated at Union College in 1861, was a recruiting officer on the staff of General John F. Rathbone (1819-1901) in 1861-1862, taught in the Albany Academy in 1862-1865, and was editor of the Albany Express in 1865-1870; joined the staff of the Albany Journal in 1870, and was editor-in-chief of this paper from 1876 to 1880. In 1879-1880 he was a regent of the University of the State of New York. From 1880 until his death he was editor and part proprietor of the Philadelphia Press. He was active as a Republican in state and national politics; was chairman of the Committee on Resolutions of the New York State Republican Conventions from 1874 to 1880 (excepting 1877), and was president of the convention of 1879; and was a delegate to several National Republican Conventions, drafting much of the Republican platforms of 1876 and 1896. In 1890-1892 he was United States minister to Russia, and during that period had charge of distributing among the Russian famine sufferers more than $ioo,000 in money, and five shiploads of food. He was postmaster-general in the cabinet of Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt from April 1898 until January 1902, and did much to develop the rural free delivery system. He died in Philadelphia on the ,9th of January 1908.