Evening star., 1928-11-04
EXPERTS REFUSE TO CONCEDE
SMITHS VICTORY IN NEW YORK
Figures of 1924 Favor Hoover-Upstate
Vote, to Overcome Gotham Margin,
Is Sole Hope of G. OP.

ALBANY. N. Y. November 3,-New
'favorite son" candidate. is without
question the center of attention
throughout the country on the eve of
the 1928 national election. And New
York, with the prodigality which seems
traditional In so many Of its activities,
apparently is about to live up to its
reputation this year and give the coun-
try the show" that is expected.
In the flrSt place, State that enrolls
1885, ,276 persons for a national election
is certainly worth watching for that If
for no other reason. This Is nearly a
million more qualified voters than have
ever registered before-997, ,722 more, to
be exact, than put their names on the
books in the previous record year 1924.
What makes the SHOW" especially in
teresting, however, to the spectators in
the rest of the country is the real un-
certainty as to the way these millions
of voters are going to cast their ballots.
One might expect that a State which
has an undoubted "favorite son" In the
presidential race. a man who has been
elected four times governor out Of five
attempts for the Office, would be chalked
up without the shadow of doubt in the
mans column.
State Still in Doubt.
1t is perhaps an indication of the in
ordinate "showmanship" of New York
State that such is not the fact. With
the election only three days away. 1t
simply cannot be said that New York
will give its IS electoral college votes to
its own Gov. Smith, Democratic candi-
date.
IF he does not get New York, he
won't be elected" Is one of the remarks
heard many times these days. referring,
of course, to Gov. Smith. Naturally that
statement Is always supplemented with
the further declaration that the winning
of New York does not of Itself mean
Gov. Smiths election. Forty-f1ve elec-
toral votes from one State is much to
be desired start toward necessary 266,
but it still leaves 221 others to be
gathered
The uncertainty Of the attitude of
New York voters toward their own gov
ernor when he is running for President
is ably reflected In the betting odds as
quoted in the Wall Street financial dis
trict Of New York City. Whereas the
odds in favor of the election of Hoover
have never been lower than to and
this week reached as high as AZ to /,
suits in the State change sometimes
overnight.
The odds swing slightly one way or
the other, but Hoover very closely TO
even money The trend has been rather
in favor of Hoover about to that he
would carry Gov. Smiths own State.
Betting odds are curious things, diff
cult to trace to any definite source. But
it Is certain that from one end of the
State to the other, despite Gov. Smiths
undeniably enormous personal popular
ity and his remarkable campaigning
record, the talk has been for weeks of
hundreds who voted for him for gov
ernor. but will not vote for him for
President"
Elected ny Republicans.
Gov. Smith was always elected by
Republicans. The party enrolment fig
ures indicated that this must have been
true. Even when Coolidge polled near
ly 2-to-1 vote over Davis in the presi-
dental election Of 1924, Gov. Smith was
elected governor over candidate who
bore the glamour Of a great New York
state name-Theodore Roosevelt.
'Al Smith Republican" is a designa-
ion heard continually during the past
decade here as descriptive Of any men,
her of a political group which unques-
tionably numbered thousands. Now the
Republican leaders claim confidently
the turning point has come. AL Smith
is at last running for an of1lce for which
the "Al Smith Republicans" cannot sup
port him, especially in view Of the cali
ber of the Republican candidate against
him.
Looking at the cold figures of his
tory, the presidential vote in New York