Evening star., 1951-04-08
Senator 7 obey Amazed
At Hit He Made in
Crime Investigation
By Edword A. Harris

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back and beg for his autograph
kilograms, letters and penny post
cards began flooding his Washing
ton Office at the astounding rate
of more than 1000 day. In ar
Iunending tide they poured in from
countless housewives. from the
poor and the rich. from the hinter-
lands and the great cities.
In times past such wildly exu-
berant public acclaim has been &C
corded glamorous and dashing
Hollywood figures who rose to ma
|tional popularity in the make-be-
Ilieve world of the movie screen.
But times having changed, it was
the wondrous television screen. in
millions of homes throughout the
land, that made Senator Charles
William Tobey, at the ripe age of
no. the hero of so many as the
indignant thunderer of the Senate
Crime Committee.
Strikes Responsive Chord
The New Hampshire Republican
is himself nothing short of amazed
at the reaction to his appearance
.on television. For many years, at
|innumerable Senate hearings, he
has been giving vent to his deep
feelings about sin, criminals. cor
ruption and graft. This earned
him the respect of his colleagues
and at times the snickers of his
opponents and the supersophisti-
Gates, many of whom have become
hardened to vice and duplicity
But it scarcely resulted in a fren-
zied accolade from the public.
This, of course, was BIT, the
relatively humdrum age before
television. 1t seems that the
Bible-quoting, righteous Senator
needed only the magic lantern of
video to strike a deep responsive
chord in thousands of Americans
who never bothered to pen a fan
letter to any one.
A deeply religious man, almost
evangelistic in his passionate
hatred of the devil in all of his
manifestations, Senator Tobey's
home fittingly is at Temple, on
whose surrounding hills Senator
'Tobey annually leads his neigh
bors in the singing of old-faSh-
ioned hymns. Those who know
him best know that his indignant
and colorful outbursts at sin and
hypocrisy spring from deep and
sincere convictions.
Others, unaware of Senator
Tobey's background and reputa-
ton, are apt to dismiss his be-
as sanctimonious, with
some added comments thrown in
about "brow-b beating" witnesses
and making ''grandstand plays" to
the televisior1 multitudes. Sem
ator Tobey's mail shows that the
latter comprise but a few sour
notes in the massive chorus of
applause.
The creator of the Lone Ranger,
a radio and television character
who regularly rides herd on wicked
cowboys to the delight of children,
admiringly wrote Senator Tobey
that he was the Lone Ranger of
today. Several ministers wrote the
Senator that he had given them
for their Easter Sun
day sermons. A school child
sent him a dollar to carry on
the fight" A housewife wrote:
For the first time in my life I've
put the ironing board in the living
room :"
A card reached him addressed
ITO the Conscience of New Eng
land" Several worshipers sent
original songs dedicated to him,
of uncertain tonal quality. Bat
talions of housewives sent their
blessing and expressions of sup
port, seemingly lined up row on
apron -fronted row, rolling pins
upheld like bazookas, ready to do
battle if necessary in his behalf.
Il am merely housewife but"
was a typical beginning of hun
dreds of communications, with a.
great many admirers adding that
they had never before taken the
trouble to write such letters.
From Dearborn. Mich, came al
wire: eve mothers and house.
wives of America say, God bless
television and your committee. i
Please do all you can to continue
The committee; airmail letter fol-
ows." From Drexel Hill. Pa, this
telegram: Here's a 'bribe' I hope
you'll accept: 10000 thanks for
your broadcast today. God bless
you and keep you strong" From
Newark, N. j.: Congratulations
television has made all of us most
aware Of what is happening"
A Baltimore couple co-signedI
his longhand letter: "Congratu-
ations to you, sir. You've given
mouth to the words that are inI
every good Americans heart. May
you rest in peace and the crimi-
lals in jail"
On the stationery of the Park
Plaza Hotel in st. Louis came
this one from "a Good House.
wife,: AFTER hearing you and
seeing you on television I can't
contain myself. Must write you.
I'm just an average housewife /
who goes along. hoping that the
good men running our country are
,rying to do a good job. Same as
work at perfecting mine. You're
my idea of one of the greatest
statesmen who ever lived, and
should go down in history as one
If the great. Your principles and
deals are things we strive for,
,ut most Of us never attain. Keep
lp your health. sir, too"
some $4,000 Messages
BY the time the Senate Crime
Committee had concluded it's
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