PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCES

The indifference shown by Massachusetts voters in Tuesday's election, in indicating their preference for presidential candidates, would seem to show that the political seers who prophesied bitterly-fought campaigns and November fireworks, were smacking anticipatory lips over a highly over-rated dish. Landon emerged as the Republican choice, with a ten-to-one margin over his nearest rival, a man named Hoover. Such definite support by an Eastern state of the horse-and-buggy governor must come as a blow to those who were sure that a Western candidate would not be successful in New England.

Only twenty-five per cent of the state's registered voters bothered to vote at all; of these half were either too lazy, or too undecided as to whom they wanted, to write down their choice for President. Roosevelt had twenty thousand supporters, and the eight delegates pledged to him were elected with almost no opposition. Seventy thousand citizens took the trouble to write in Landon's name; the Republican delegates, though unpledged, will hardly be apt to defy such a clearly expressed sentiment.

Nevertheless, they are un-pledged; nor is it by any means certain that the genial Kansan will be the national Republican choice next June. Borah is a definite possibility, as is Knox, and there is always that man named Hoover. Support of the President by his party, on the other hand, if casual, was at least certain, and if this is not the case at the Philadelphia convention, it will be most unusual. The obvious inference is that Massachusetts Republicans voted for Landon because he is the most in the limelight at the present moment, an uncertain reason at best. If the hopes of the G. O. P. are going to come true, it must back a candidate with more qualifications than the fact that there doesn't seem to be any one else to bear the standard.