Joseph C Rich
Information comes from the 1896 Illustrated History of Idaho, page 694-695
Joseph C Rich was affiliated with the Democratic Party all his life and his abilities as a leader were recognized by his Party. He was elected to almost every office in his county and district.
Twice he represented Bear Lake County as a Representative to the Territorial Legislature and presided over the State Convention in 1894; was elected to and attended as delegate the Chicago convention in 1896, casting his vote and that of the state for William Jennings Bryan for president. He was elected a state senator in 1896 on an Anti-Dubois platform and he fought both Democrats and Republicans when necessary, to guarantee that the Mormon people might enjoy their rights of citizenship.
"In this contest the honor of the Democratic party of the state was involved and to the efforts and successful generalship of Judge Rich and his associates may be attributed the success of that campaign. Mr. Rich believed that the Democratic party had entered into and made an honest compact with the Populist party and that for his part to retain its honor and remain a worthy power in the state the terms of that compact must be faithfully maintained and they were.
As a forcible fluent and impressive speaker and debater he stands with the first of his party, fearless, keen witted, quick and able in debate and repartee, well informed on all public questions, sarcastic when necessary, unusually fair to an opponent, these qualities have made him one of the ablest men in the state in his championship of the cause of Democracy. In the struggle of women for female suffrage, he championed their cause and did all he could to give them the standing they have in the statutes of the state today.
He fought bitterly the disfranchisement of the Mormon people in the territory of Idaho, claiming the constitutional right of every religious class to participate in the affairs of state, denied the right of government to interfere or punish conscionable affairs, and even went so far as to resign his membership in the Mormon church rather than subject himself to disfranchisement. he continued his fight against creed discrimination until the repeal of the obnoxious and unconstitutional statue and the rehabilitation of the franchise of the people. In this matter he fought both Democrats and Republicans alike, both parties having participated in the crime.
In 1898 a fusion on the state and congressional ticket for the state of Idaho was effected between the Democrats and silver Republicans as against the Populists on one side and the straight Republicans on the other. A judge was to be elected for the fifth judicial district, comprising nearly one third of the counties of the state; Oneida, Bannock, Bingham, Fremont, Lemhi and Bear Lake counties. The silver Republicans issued an invitation for the Democrats to go into joint convention, to nominate a judge. When it was privately ascertained that Mr. Rich would have a majority on joint ballot for the nomination, the silver Republicans refused to honor their own call and the result was separate conventions of the two parties on the judgeship nomination.
The Democrats nominated Judge Rich; the silver Republicans F S Dietrich; the straight Republicans John A Bagley and the Populist, Sample H Orr. Judge Rich was elected by a clear plurality over all of one thousand eight hundred and twenty four votes. His term of office expires in January 1904."
He studied law under the pioneer lawyer, Hosea Stout, in Salt Lake City and was admitted to both the Utah and Idaho State Bars. At the turn of the century Joseph was elected to the high office of District Judge of the Fifth Judicial District comprising the six southeastern Idaho counties of Oneida, Bannock, Bingham, Fremont, Lemhi and Bear Lake.
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