Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-08-16
HIS FIRST NOMINATION WAS AT A CONVENTION IN PRES.
 corr IN 1886.
TWICE SINCE THEN HE HAS RE. FUSED NOMINATION FOR
 SAME OFFICE.
As a Delegate to Congress from Ari- zona He Has Always Been the Popu. lar Democrat and is Looked Upon as the Logical Candidate for Senator. |.

ueorge II. helly, writing to the Bis' bee Review, has the following interest ing information concerning the remark able history of Mark Smith, renon'in- ated by the demoratic convention at Prescott for delegate to Congress
 B. A. Packard of Douglas, delegate to the late convention, was in the con. vention of 1886 at Prescott when Mark Smith was first nominated for con gress, and he has been present at the nomination of his friend many times since.
 As stated above, Mark Smith, who is to be named as the standard bearer in Prescott Saturday, was first nominated in the year 1886. That year his repub- liean opponent was Col. Bean of Tue. son, but who had formerly lived at Tombstone. Smith was elected by a handsome majority and in his campaign demonstrated that as a eampaigner he was unequalled in Arizona.
 In 1888 Smith was renominated in Tucson, the late John Herndon of Pres eott, making the nominating speech. That year General Thomas r. Wilson of Tucson was nominated by the republi- cans and was beaten at the polls by more than 5000 votes when the total vote of the territory was not half what it is today.
 In 1890 Smith was again chosen as the democratic candidate, this time at Phoenix. Judge E. J. Edwards, then of Phoenix, was chairman of the conven- ton. Mickey Stewart, of Flagstaff, then in Yavapai county, was nominated by the republicans. but he proved to be a loser at the polls.
 Smith was again elected in 1899, but l cannot recall the republican who opposed him that year.
 In 1894 Mark Smith stepped aside and asked that his loyal and true friend in northern Arizona be made the democratic candidate for congress. Herndon was nominated in Phoenix at large and enthusiastic convention. He had two opponents, Oakes Murphy, who has been governor on the repub- lican ticket. and Hon. William o. o Neil on the populst ticket.
 O'Neil developed much strength in northern Arizona where he was ex- tremely popular and oakes Murphy got heavy vote in Narieopa county, be- cause of feeling of gratitude to the Murphy s who were given credit for building the Santa Fe railroad into Phoenix. Herndon was defeated and Murphy the republican, was elected. It will be remembered that in lS9i there was republican landslide from one end of the country to the other, because of dissatisfaction with Cleve- land and because of the great financial panic of 1893. In states like Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana and all throcgh the west republicans won congressman in districts which had been giving from 5000 to 1000 democratic majority. Bland, the idol of Missouri, was de- feated that year by a music teacher who was nominated because no prom inent republican could be induced to run against Bland, and so it went all over the country.
 In 1896 Mark Smith was again nom mated and won over Murphy with O'Neil again the populist candidate.
 In the year 1898 Mark Smith. on ac- count of the illness of his wife, de- clined the nomination and the eonven- tion at Prescott after an excited ses- sion, nominated Col. J. F. Wilson, who won the honor over F. E. Ellinwood by two votes, after deadlock of the con vention winch lasted two days. Hon. Wiley E. Jones of Graham county he'll the balance of power and his friends finally through the nomination to Will son. The republicans nominated Col.