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It's awfully hard to keep all these state elections straight, especially those in which Smith was elected and reelected. They all tend to get blurred. One election runs into another in your mind. Smith ran for reelection in 1924. It was, I guess, universally conceded that he would be elected. I can't even remember who his opponent was in that election, because certainly our tactics by this time were not to attack the opponent, but to support the incumbent. By this time Smith was very sure and secure in his own campaign. I remember that he cautioned us not to be too certain, because after all it was a Presidential year, and I guess he had accepted the idea that Davis wouldn't be elected and that it might be therefore regarded as a Republican year. The Republicans thought it was a Republican year and that was supposed to be a very important item in the State of New York, where we have a great many Republicans. It was thought that it was a hazardous period for Smith and he might not be reelected.
We all regarded it as very important that he should be elected. It was our answer to those in the national convention who had been so opposed to him and continuously voted against him in the nomination. It was our answer to them to elect him by a big and enthusiastic majority and show them just where the hearts of the people were.
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