AL SMITH AS A CANDIDATE

It is only natural that when a candidate carries a state by such substantial majorities as did Al Smith yesterday, extravagant statements should result. Various extraneous factors were present in the campaign to stimulate that tendency. Consequently there are references in the excited press to Massachusetts as the "key state" of the race, and even the chance that Smith wil stampede the Democratic Convention is seriously mentioned. With a backing of thirty-six delegates, the latter possibility is fairly remote at the moment. His victory has undoubtedly altered the political current, but almost certainly it is not in his candidacy that his potential usefulness to his party rests.

From the point of view of ability to stop Governor Roosevelt, the results of the Pennsylvania primaries are almost as important as these of Massachusetts. His campaign in Pennsylvania was more free from local prejudices, and from the assistance (both positive and negative) given by the actions of state politicians. The fact that he was nevertheless a close second to Roosevelt indicates that throughout the country there is a body of Democrats determined to stop the New York Governor, and willing to use Smith to that end. It is difficult to believe that he, who has been called our greatest political realist, is not alive to these facts. Presumably, as a loyal Democrat, he is willing to sacrifice his own dubious chance of election to support some candidate other than Roosevelt. Viewed in that light, the Massachusetts primary is significant not because he won, but because Roosevelt lost.