Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-05-08
SPECIALIZING
| STILL ON THE
IATHE VVICT0RY
SCORED BY UNDERWOOD
Politicians Are Discussing 1t
Widely

Atlanta, Ga, May Politicians are
still busy specializing upon the mean
ing and effect of the result of the
presidential primary on Wednesday
in which with less than $4,000 votes
cast, Oscar Underwood, of Alabama,
swept the state by plurality of ap-
proximately $4,000 votes.
With every verification of official
figures, Underwood's majority or plu-
rality went up by leaps and bounds
II was a remarkable situation in
which the election was first claimed
by the friends of the successful candi-
date by plurality less than one-half
of what he actually received.
The rule is political claims are put
high, and the actual figures work
down from them; in this case the
process was reversed.
The night of the election, Mr.. I'm.
derwood's friends figured ne had won
by approximately 1000. The next
morning this had been increased to
$500. By Friday afternoon this had
increased to 1885 and was still grow
ing.
There is little doubt that the final
consolidation will show a plurality of
more than $4,000 for Mr. Underwood.
This is a larger plurality than has
been received by the successful candi-
date in any of the last three cam
paigns for governor.
That Underwood's victory nipped in
the bud some pretty we'll laid politi-
cal plans, there can scarcely be ques-
ton or doubt
Senator Hoke Smith needed the VIII
son victory to keep his hold upon the
state. He must run again in 1914,
and this time before the people He
no doubt felt that he had hurt him
self somewhat by his refusal to sub
}
the election to a legislature, known
to be composed of a majority of his
followers.
He knows, too, that in all human
probability he will have opposition
in his coming race. From this it may
be pretty nearly figured out what IA
Wilson victory meant to him; when
explains why, also, he besought and
urged his friends in Georgia to sup
port Wilson, and even left his seat
in the senate to come here with the
New Jersey governor, lending also
the influence of his personal presence
to the campaign.
But Senator Smith comes out of the
presidential fight with nothing eX-
cept that knowledge that he is not
nso popular when fghtig for some
body else as in his own campaigns.
Whether he has lost anything person
ally is another question. In the face
of it he could hardly be said to be as
strong as he was before the Wilson
slump; just what difference it may
make, remains to be determined by
his next race.
Then there is Congressman T. w.
Hardwick, who has had under con-
sideration for some time the matter
of announcing for United States sena-
tor against Senator A. O. Bacon. Mr..
Hardwick's intention in this respect
came pretty near being an open secret
and at last it is said to have come
down to the point where Mr. Hard
wick's action regarding the senatorial
race depended on the result in the
presidential primary. He came to
Georgia and did some hard work in
behalf of the New Jersey governor,
but all to no purpose; even his home
county gave Mr.. Underwood a sub
stantial majority. Therefore, Mr.
Hardwick will remain in congress for
the present, in which he has been
promised contest for his seat in the
coming state primary.
Smith Out of il Now.
Then there was J. r. Smith, former
campaign managear for Governor JOS
eph NJ. Brown. A leading Wilson
supporter and prominent Georgian is
quoted as having remarked at the
Capital City club shortly before the
primary:
IF Wilson wins this race, there
will be a new candidate for governor
in the field within less than week
after May l."
Many thought the reference was to
the former Brown campaign manager
but whether or not, the new candidate
is not now likely to materialize. There
does not seem to be any ques--
ton about the fact that Mr.. Smith has
gubernatorial aspirations. He had
them before the presidential situation
developed; he was talked Of as a
prospective candidate when there was
doubt about Governor Brown getting
in the race last year Then gossip
connected his name with prospective
candidacy when he lined up with Sem
ator Smith and spoke from the same
platform" for Governor Wilson.
1t is pretty well assured now, how
ever, that Mr.. Smith will not be in