The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-06

Atlanta. May 5.--(Special.) l.)-Politicians are stin speculating upon the meaning and effect of the result of the presidential pri- mary on "Wednesday, in which with less than 135 0OO votes cast, oscar Underwood of Alabama swept the state by plural ity 15,O00 votes.
 With every verification of official fig ures. Underwood's majority or plurality went up by leaps and bounds. It was a remarkable situation in which the election was first claimed by the friends of the successful candidate by a plurality less than one-half of what he actually re- ceived. The rule is political claims are put high, and the actual figures worR down from them; in this case the process was reversed The night of the election MT. Underwoods friends figured he had won by approximately 1000. The next morning this had been increased to $500. By Friday afternoon this had increased to l4,635 and was still growing. There is little doubt that the final consolidation will show plurality of more than 15,oo0 for MT. Underwood. This is a larger plur- ality than has been received by the suc- cessful candidate in any of the last three campaigns TOT BOVeTnoI-
 That Underwood's victory nipped in the bud some pretty well laid political plans there can scarcely be question or doubt.
 Senator Hoke Smith needed the Wilson victory to leep his hold upon the state. He must run again in 1914, this time be- fore the people He no doubt felt that he had hurt himself somewhat by his refusal to submit to a primary last year, leaving the election to a legislature known to be composed of a majority of his fol- lowers He knows, too, that in all hu- man probability he will have opposition in his coming race. From this 1t may be pretty nearly figured just what a W1l- son victory meant to him, which explains why. also. he becought and urged his friends in Georgia to support Wilson. and even left his seat in the Senate to come home with the New Jersey gover- nor, lending also the influence of his per- sonal presence to the campaign.
 But Senator Smith comes out of the presidential fight with nothing except that knowledge that he is not at least so popular when fighting for somebody else as perhaps in his own campaigns. Whether he has lost anything personally is another question. On 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 in Congressman T. w Hard wick. who has had under consideration for some time the matter of announcing for United States senator against Senator A. O. Bacon MT. Hardwcsk's intention in this respect came pretty near being an open secret At last 1t is said to have come down to the point where MT. 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 MT. Under wood a substantial majority. Therefore. MT. Hardwick will remain in Congress for the present, in which he has been prom ised a contest for his seat in the coming state primary.
 Then there was J. R. Smith, former Brown. A leading Wilson supporter and remarked at the Capital City club shortly before the primary:
 Tt Wilson wins this race there will be 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 no, the new candidate is not now likely to materialize. There does not seem to be any question about the fact that MT. Smith has gubernatorial aspira- tions. He had them before the presi- dental situation developed; he was