Evening star., 1936-10-08
MUSE BOLT FAILS
TO WIN BACKING
Move by Former State Sena-
tor Against Roosevelt
Not Popular.
This Is the second OF series OF
articles on Virginia politics.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY,
staff Correspondent OF The Star.

BY WILL p. KENNEDY,
STAFF Correspondent OF The Star.
PETERSBURG, Va. october g.
BENJAMIN Muse of Dunedin, who res
signed September II as State Senator,
announcing that with great sadness
I cannot vote for the reelection Of
President Roosevelt. y shall vote
for Gov Landon. hope many
will follow my example" has found
out how it feels to be martyr.
Coming about the time that resent
ment against Roosevelt was as its peak
in the Old Dominion, when the JET
fersonian Democrats were launching
their campaign against the New Deal,
the resignation and formal announce
ment by Senator Muse, who had been
leader of the old age pension bloc
In the Senate and generally supposed
to be a supporter Of the Roosevelt
social security program, startled the
party leaders. 1t might be portent-
Gus.
Fail to Follow.
But it hasn't proved so-the many
whom Senator Muse hoped might fol-
low have apparently not seen fit to
do so-in fact they have made him
more or less of a political outcast,
where he had been one of the most
promising Of the new-blood in Virginia
politics.
Muse like the JefferSonian Demo-
erats. is not fighting his own party.
He will vote for Senator Glass and
Representative Patrick H. Drewry for
reelection to Congress He is making
no anti-Democratic speeches, no cam
palgning He took the step himself
"on principle and TO be square with
his own conscience, and in the
strength Of his convictions he made
public announcement Of the fact
and let it so ST that. He believes
that the Democratic party should cut
loose from the New Deal. He be-
iieves that the Congress can be kept
Democratic. Roosevelt stopped" and
the country saved from dangerous.
dictatorship tendencies.
He is born Democrat. native Of
North Carolina. After service in the
World War he entered the diplomatic
service in 1920 under President Will
son and was successfully stationed at
Copenhagen, Denmark; Managua,
Nicaragua; Mexico City. San Saliva
dor and Paris. Subsequently he saw
extensive service in Panama, Colombia
and Montevideo. He was counselor for
the American delegation to the Pan
American Conference at Montevideo
in December, 1888. He took his seat in
the State Senate in 1886.
In clearing himself of the rather
general supposition that he had sup
ported the New Deal social security
program Muse emphasized he had es-
poused solely the old-age pension leg
islation. He has been urged to speak
against the New Deal. but has been
carefully refraining from any further
injection of himself into the campaign
In support of his decision to vote for
Landon, in view of his leadership in
the old-age pension fight, he has
pointed out that Republican States
have gone further than Democratic
States and that all the States that
went Republican in the last election
have old-age pensions, while all of the
States that do not have old-age pen
sions are in the Democratic column.
For Party Regularity.
But-Mr. Muse has nevertheless
martyr-as one to be viewed with sus-
picion by his fellow townsmen. This
IS because of a very strong feeling for
party regularity throughout Virginia,
probably more than in any other State.
He had been out of the State so long
on his diplomatic posts that he did
not realize how intense this feeling is
a sort of terrorism against daring to
think or vote contrary to strict Dem
ocratic organization standards. This
is an old situation, bred into the bones
of the Virginia Democracy. 1t is shown
In the proposed investigation of some
members of the City Council re-
ported to be supporting the anti-New
Deal drive and the city attorney, who
said he could not vote for Roosevelt
and the New Deal, but could not bring
himself to vote for the Republican can
didate.
So while there may be many who
would like to follow the invitation of
Mr.. Muse that they cast their votes
with him in protest against the New
Deal they seem to be afraid to say so.
Folks In business, asked casually about
the political trend, are extremely re-
1uctant to express any opinion. Just
how strong silent vote there may be
against Roosevelt in Virginia is ex-
tremely hard to gauge.
Muse Is indefinitely out Of politics.
Gov. Peery has ordered special elec-
ton to be held November to select
q successor in the State Senate to Mr..
Muse. Morton G. Goode of Dinwiddie
County, where Muse also resides, is
being urged as a candidate. Former
Senator Robert Gillian, jr., and Dele
gate l. M. Coleman are also mentioned.
Representative Drewry of this city,
chairman of the Democratic Congress
sional Campaign Committee as sue
cessor to the late Speaker Joseph w.
Byrns, will undoubtedly be reelected
and Is confident that the entire Demo-
cratic ticket will be successful at the
polls. He is spending most of his time