The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-11
In The Nation
BY ARTHUR KROCK
In The New York Times


WESTINGHOUSE many months the en-
inent dean of the Senate, Carter Glass of
Virginia, has been incapacitated for his duties
by age Ohe is 80 and i'll health and has
been confined to his hotel room in Washington.
For that time and much longer his colleague,
Senator Byrd, has been carrying on the duties
of both, and, out of consideration for Mr..
Glass and respect and appreciation for his
shining public career, Virginians have silently
accepted the situation.
Now however, nearly three years after
the senior Virginia Senator last responded to a
roll-call and almost four years after his
vigor failed him, an effort to bring about his
retirement has taken form in the State: Per
haps there are not many communities in
which an effort of this sort would have been
so long delayed. But extremes of courtesy
are typical of Virginians. And in Mr.. Glass
they have contributed to the nation states
man of the first order, whose major achieve
ments from the early days of Woodrow Will
sons Presidency are an important part of the
history of this century.
The attempt to persuade Senator Glass to
retire, or to induce others to persuade him
to do so, began February in the form of an
editorial published in The News Leader OF
Staunton. Since then other Virginia newspapers
and citizens have entered the discussion, many
OF them in agreement with the Staunton editor.
Among these citizens is DR.. Robert Douthat
Meade, Professor of History at Randolph
recent biography of Judah P. Benjamin, and
among these newspapers is The 1imes-Dis-
patch of Richmond
Appeal to Mrs. Glass
The Staunton newspaper asserted that lit
is plainly the duty of Mrs. Carter Glass to
make it clear to her husband that his age and
physical condition disbar him from further
duty in the Senate and to prevail on him to
tender his resignation' Mrs Glass the Sena-
devoted attendant on the distinguished patient
and is considered to have more influence
with him than any other person.
1T equally is the duty of leaders in all
phases of public life in Virginia. continued
The News Leader, "to use their influence to
this imperative end. 1t is imperative that an
other Virginian, schooled in the high political
traditions of this State and willing to fight
against the march of radical forces and for
full American participation in world security
arrangements, be sent to Washington immed-
lately"
The Danville Bees comment on this was
that 1.-The time has come for him (Mr. GLASS;
to step aside with the knowledge of duty well
done and to permit the full legislative func-
ton within the accepted tenets of the demo-
cratic system" And The Tmes-Dispatch, re-
mindng Virginians that it is IAN old frieno
and adnnirer'' of "one Of the ablest, most up
right and most revered figures in the public life
of Virginia. called it certain that his ability
to serve the State on the floor of the United
States Senate is at an end
There has been dissent, by The Richmond
News-Leader for example. 1t reported that
some of Mr. Glass friends, though they see
him so seldom they cannot be sure, thing that
his continuing membership in the upper house
may be the interest that keeps the spark OF
life in his frail body. If there is even proba-
bilty that this is true we Go not think he
should be called on to resign at this time
This is the argument which has post-poned
the issue in the long period that has elapsed
since it first became known-two and half
years ago-that Mr.. Glass would probably
never return to the Senate floor This also
has induced many Virginians, including other
members of the Senator's family, to keep
silent on statements and acts imputed to him
which were totally at variance with positions
he maintained until yer recently.
Breaking the Silence
But in July, 1914, the of silence began
to be infracted. A Republican State leader
said publicly that Mr. Glass was mot COM
petent within the meaning of the Constitution
and asked for his resignation In November
of the same year one of the Senator's sons
published doubt that political comment
attributed to Mr.. Glass had been consciously
MADE by MN. MY 1atner S nedlln, ne SAID
"does not permit direct contact with him at
the present time for discussion of business"
but no step toward retirement was made by
Mr.. Glass other than to decline to be a can
didate for reelection as president protein
pore of the Senate in the current Congress,
saying he felt the function should be exercised
someone who can preside over the Senate"
And there has been no further indication from
his sick-bed
The career which impelled Vlrginians to
refrain so long from the present effort is I'M
both in length and distinction, by
any other member of Congress. Co-author OF
the Federal Reserve Act, former Secretary
of the Treasury who declined President Roose-
velts request in 1888 to take that office again
because he doubted the Presidents fiscal
policies, long the conservative Democratic
leader against the New Deal and one of the
first advocates of intervention in this war,
Mr. Glass has made much contemporary his
tory. He put James A. Farley in nomination
at the Democratic convention of 1910 to en-
phasze his protest against third term as
well as his personal devotion to MIR. Farley.
But the fire that flashed then and on many
other occasions has long since vanished from
his eyes.
-V
We must accept new and tough concept
in world affairs-that the earth is not civilized
11or1d-Wi6e OlSarnn