Background
James was born on June 12, 1851 in Newark, New Jersey, United States, the son of Irish immigrants, James and Mary (Lyndon) Smith.
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James was born on June 12, 1851 in Newark, New Jersey, United States, the son of Irish immigrants, James and Mary (Lyndon) Smith.
He attended private schools and St. Mary's College, Wilmington, Delaware.
After studies he embarked upon a business career. Beginning as a clerk in his father's grocery store, he subsequently became a member of the J. H. Halsey & Smith Company.
In 1904 he became president of the Federal Trust Company of Newark, and for several years owned the Newark Advertiser and its successor, the Star.
Beginning as an alderman (1883 - 87), he served as president of the board of works of Newark and was chairman of the state's delegations to the Democratic National Convention in 1884, 1892, and 1896. In 1892 he swung his delegation from David B. Hill to Cleveland, and the following year, "with money as plentiful as ugly rumors", he was elected to the United States Senate. There during his single term his services were undistinguished.
The belief that he, along with other senators, had speculated in sugar stocks while the Wilson tariff bill was pending resulted in a Senate investigation. Smith denied the accusation, but a strong suspicion against him remained long after he left the Senate. Although his close alliance with the vested interests of New Jersey was well known and subject to much criticism, it was not until 1910 that his domination of the Democratic organization was threatened.
He was prevailed upon by George Harvey to accept Woodrow Wilson as the Democratic candidate for governor, and by "steam-roller" methods in the state convention he forced Wilson's nomination. After the party's triumph at the polls in November, Smith put himself forward as a candidate for the Senate, despite previous assurances that he would not enter the contest. Wilson stood by the winner of the September primary, however, and succeeded in defeating Smith when the legislature balloted in January 1911. In revenge the latter fought the Governor's legislative program, but without much success.
Another effort in 1912 to return to the Senate also failed, when he was beaten in the primary by Wilson's choice, William Hughes. These reverses, together with the collapse of his private business interests in 1915, destroyed his power and forced his retirement from public life.
His death occurred in Newark, in his seventy-sixth year.
In 1874 Smith was married to Katherine R. Nugent of Newark, who died in 1910. Ten children were born to them, of whom six survived their father.