Immediately after graduation Mr. Smith received an appointment as military secretary to General John F. Rathbone, who was engaged in enlisting recruits for the Civil war. While in this employment he was promoted to judge advocate-general, with the rank of major, and for a period was engaged in the office of the adjutant-general of the state. After the election of Horatio Seymour, a Democrat, as governor, in 1862, Mr. Smith's connection with this service ended, and he became a teacher in the Albany Boys' academy, retaining the position for several years. At the same time he resumed editorial work, contributing to the pages of the Albany "Express"; and in 1865 he purchased an interest in this paper and gave up the profession of teaching for that of journalism. At thatrtime the "Express" was a local journal, of little influence; but the presence of fresh editorial force was quickly manifested, and the paper rose into rivalry with the Albany "Journal," then the recognized organ of the Republican party at the New York State capital His editorship of the "Express" continued until 1870, and was diversified, 1866-68, by service as secretary to Governor Fenton. In 1870 he accepted a position as associate editor of the "Journal," of which he afterward became editor-in-chief. Before engaging in newspaper work Mr. Smith had married Miss Ella Huntly, June 30, 1863.
His position as editor of the influential Albany "Journal" made Mr. Smith still more prominent in the political field. He became an influential force in the state conventions of his party. He was especially active in preparing the annual platforms of the Republicans; and in 1877 he inserted in the platform a plank in favor of civil service reform, New York's earliest endorsement of the measure. For five years of the interval between 1874 and 1880, he was chairman of the committee on resolutions; and in 1879 he was president of the convention. In 1876 he also served as a delegate to the Republican national convention, and as a member of the committee on resolutions he drafted a large part of the party platform. Meanwhile his pen was making itself vigorously felt on the editorial page of the "Journal," with which he remained connected for ten years from 1870 to 1880. His leading position as an editor was recognizee by his election as president of the New York State Press Association in 1874. He was also made a regent of the University of the State of New York, 1879-80.
