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Colorado is also mineral-rich. This is important because a key part of Jefferson Smith's background involves a crooked syndicate of [[mining]] companies.

Colorado is also mineral-rich. This is important because a key part of Jefferson Smith's background involves a crooked syndicate of [[mining]] companies.

Furthermore, Colorado has at least one Senate position in [[United States Senate]] Class II, the members of which were elected to the Senate in 1918. Senator [[Mark Udall]]([[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Colorado|CO]]) is the current Senator from Colorado belonging to Class II. Senator Joseph Paine, had he been a real person, would have been elected to the Senate from Colorado as a member of that Class. [[Wyoming]], the State to the immediate north of Colorado and the only other likely candidate, does not have a Senator who is a member of Class II.

Furthermore, Colorado has at least one Senate position in [[United States Senate]] Class II, the members of which were elected to the Senate in 1918. Senator [[Mark Udall]]([[Democratic Party|D]]-[[Colorado|CO]]) is the current Senator from Colorado belonging to Class II. Senator [[Joseph Paine]], had he been a real person, would have been elected to the Senate from Colorado as a member of that Class. [[Wyoming]], the State to the immediate north of Colorado and the only other likely candidate, does not have a Senator who is a member of Class II.

Finally, though Wyoming is entitled to only one Representative, Colorado currently fields seven. This is important because Smith pesters three members of his State's House delegation about a project that he suspects is a scheme for graft.

Finally, though Wyoming is entitled to only one Representative, Colorado currently fields seven. This is important because Smith pesters three members of his State's House delegation about a project that he suspects is a scheme for graft.

The party to which Jefferson Smith belonged was most likely the [[Democratic Party]], for two reasons:

The party to which Jefferson Smith belonged was most likely the [[Democratic Party]], for two reasons:

# Smith's colleague, Senator Joseph Paine, had [[White House]] aspirations, and those would have been totally unrealistic had Smith and Paine been members of the [[Republican Party]]. (In real life, of course, [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] chagrined many of his fellow Democrats by running for an unprecedented third term.)

# Smith's colleague, Senator [[Joseph Paine]], had [[White House]] aspirations, and those would have been totally unrealistic had Smith and Paine been members of the [[Republican Party]]. (In real life, of course, [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] chagrined many of his fellow Democrats by running for an unprecedented third term.)

# Smith and Paine both sat to the left of the center aisle, as one faces the well of the Senate. This is the side taken by the Democratic Caucus of the Senate.

# Smith and Paine both sat to the left of the center aisle, as one faces the well of the Senate. This is the side taken by the Democratic Caucus of the Senate.

=== A father murdered ===

=== A father murdered ===

When young Jeff Smith was about nine years old, his father was murdered. The circumstances, which Smith would not fully learn until he had long been an adult, were these: Joseph Paine had agreed to represent an independent miner who had a claim dispute with a powerful and corrupt mining syndicate. As Paine continued to press for pretrial discovery, Clayton Smith published story after story about the syndicate and its deplorable conduct in the case involving the miner. The syndicate tried every means within the law to stop the elder Smith from publishing. When this failed, they sent in an unknown assassin to kill the publisher as he sat at his desk. Jeff Smith's mother, sadly, was the one to discover the body.

When young Jeff Smith was about nine years old, his father was murdered. The circumstances, which Smith would not fully learn until he had long been an adult, were these: [[Joseph Paine]] had agreed to represent an independent miner who had a claim dispute with a powerful and corrupt mining syndicate. As Paine continued to press for pretrial discovery, Clayton Smith published story after story about the syndicate and its deplorable conduct in the case involving the miner. The syndicate tried every means within the law to stop the elder Smith from publishing. When this failed, they sent in an unknown assassin to kill the publisher as he sat at his desk. Jeff Smith's mother, sadly, was the one to discover the body.

How the miner's case was finally settled, adjudicated, or otherwise disposed of, the story never explains. Shortly after Clayton Smith's murder, Joseph Paine gave up his law practice, ran for the Senate, and won. The Smiths would not associate with Joseph Paine again until twenty years later.

How the miner's case was finally settled, adjudicated, or otherwise disposed of, the story never explains. Shortly after Clayton Smith's murder, Joseph Paine gave up his law practice, ran for the Senate, and won. The Smiths would not associate with Joseph Paine again until twenty years later.