The colorful Alfred Emanuel Smith, born on December 30, 1873, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City, was an iconic figure in American politics and ranks among the most famous candidates who lost in their runs for the presidency. He was a gifted amateur actor and public speaker, talents he turned to use when he began his political career in his twenties. He obtained his first political appointment in 1895 as a clerk in the Office of the City Commissioner of Jurors. His job was to serve subpoenas, for which he was paid the princely sum, for a young man of modest means, of $1,000 a year. Then, in 1903, he won election to the New York State Assembly. There he acquired a reputation as a champion of the working class and a backer of Progressive legislation as he rose through the ranks to become chair of the Ways and Means Committee, minority leader, and speaker. He also won election as sheriff of New York County and president of the city board of aldermen. In 1918 he was elected to the first of four terms as New York’s governor (1918–1920 and 1922–1928). Smith’s published writings consist primarily of addresses he delivered during his career as a politician. Smith, a Roman Catholic, was the target of vicious assaults because of his religion and for his opposition to Prohibition. However, he generally did not respond in kind but gave issues-oriented speeches about tariffs, waterway development, immigration, and similar policy topics that were often rather dry and failed to rouse the people he addressed.