"Charity" chain letter & follow ups. Sen. Robert Taft reelection. Send $1 and 10 copies. US, 1950.

File contents (the person who created the file is designated by "XXX" and three others by their initials ):
  1. Taft chain letter from MMD  to XXX (Captain of Police of ACL RR).  2/6/50
  2. Attachment to (1) - the ten addresses used by MMD.
  3. Copy of letter (that had $1 donation) sent by XXX to Taft campaign head  Ben B. Tate.  2/8/50
  4. Taft chain letter sent by XXX  to ten recipients. 2/8/50
  5. XXX's copy of attachment to (4) - the ten addresses used by XXX, with his modifications.
  6. Letter from C. W. Veale to XXX returning the chain because of prior participation. 2/9/50
  7. Letter from WPR to XXX returning the chain because of prior participation. 2/9/50
  8. Letter from  XXX to Sergeant JFM asking JFM to explain non-participation.  2/11/50
  9. New York newspaper clipping on the Taft chain letter. 2/19/50
10. UP Newspaper article on the Taft chain letter. 2/2/1950 (Taft opposes letter)

[1. Taft chain letter from MMD to Captain of Police XXX. 2/6/50]

                                                                       Wilmington, North Carolina,
                                                                        February 6, 1950

               During World War II many cities and villages developed a Disaster Panel designed to cope with any emergency. One man was to telephone ten people, who, in turn, called ten others, and so on until every resident was alerted. Fortunately, there was little need to use it, but where it was given trial the results were very satisfactory.

               Today there is a definite emergency confronting our country and, to cope with it, there is immediate need for a Disaster Panel. It isn't necessary to telephone - a letter will do - but it is vitally important that everyone do his part. The failure of one person will break the chain.

               Read the following statement of facts, and act. Send a dollar bill with a letter to Cincinnati, and make ten copies of this letter. Mail them to ten people you believe will serve on our Disaster Panel.

The reelection of Senator Robert A. Taft, of Ohio, is a matter of National importance; its significance and importance extends beyond the borders of Ohio!

Taft has become a symbol of courageous statesmanship and he has never hesitated to make a forthright stand on legislative questions, many of which were politically unpopular, if he thought they were right.

Taft has been singled out by the AFL, CIO, RAILROAD BROTHERHOODS, and left-wingers generally, for slaughter. Many millions of dollars are being accumulated to destroy him politically. IF these forces are successful, it will have a most serious effect on the other members of Congress who are inclined to vote courageously. In short, his defeat under the circumstances would be a "catastrophe". 

IF several million Americans from every state in the Union will drop him a little note and attach a one dollar bill - not ten, fifty or one hundred- just one dollar, and tell him they appreciate his service to the Nation, and want him to continue, he would be better able to meet the vicious attack being made upon him.


               If you value your own and your families' stake in the present struggle against surrender to Socialism - if not eventual communism - you will, I feel sure, be glad to do your bit by sending at least one dollar to Ben E. Tate, Treasurer, Taft Campaign, 3204 Carew Tower, Cincinnati, Ohio. This would be at least as much as the average union man is being assessed to try to defeat Mr. Taft.

The Tide must be turned now. It may well be our last chance. Act now! IF it is not your intention to become a part of this Disaster Panel by mailing ten copies of this letter, please return this letter to me so I can select someone else. I do not want to break the chain.

                                                                                     Sincerely,

                                                                                          MMD
P.S. Attached is a list of the
        people to whom I am sending
        this letter.

[............................................................ page break ..........................................................]

[2. Attachment to (1) - the ten addresses used by MMD.]

J. C. Clements, Captain of Police, ACL RR., Rocky Mount, N. C.

I. B. Hall, Lieutenant of Police, ACL RR., Rocky Mount, N. C.

J. A. Dorsay, Captain of Police, ACL RR., Florence, S. C.

T. T. Autry, Lieutenant of Police, ACL RR., Florence, S. C.

W. McLamb, Lieutenant of Police, ACL RR., Charleston, S. C.

J. E. Redish, Captain of Police, ACL RR., Savannah, Ga.

J. N. Poole, Sergeant of Police, ACL RR., Savannah, Ga.

XXX,  Captain of Police, ACL RR., ******, Ga.  [name and town withheld - DWV]

C. C. Freeman, Captain of Police, ACL RR., Montgomery, Ala.

W. M. Dickson, Asst. Chief of Property Protection, ACL RR., Wilmington, N. C.


[3. Letter with $1 donation from  XXX to Taft campaign head  Ben B. Tate.  2/8/50]

                                                        ******, Ga.
                                                        February 8, 1950.

Mr. Ben B. Tate,
Treasurer, Taft Campaign,
Carew Tower,
Cincinnati, Ohio.

          I enclose herewith one dollar as my humble con-
tribution toward progressing the approaching campaign
of the Honorable Robert A. Taft, of Ohio.

          His service to the Nation should be highly
appreciated by every well-thinking and loyal American
citizen.

          Trusting the campaign will be successful and
that we will continue to have this this great Man serve as
a leader in our Government.
 

                                                 Yours very truly,

                                                 XXX,  Captain of Police,
                                                 Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co.,
                                                 ******, Ga..


[4. Taft chain letter sent to ten recipients by XXX. 2/8/50]

                                                                  ******, Ga.
                                                                     February 8, 1950

[ An exact copy of the Taft Chain Letter, item (1), including PS]
 

                                                           Sincerely,

                                                                 XXX


[5. XXX's copy of attachment to (4) - the ten addresses used by XXX, with modifications.]
[Four of the below names hand marked "Returned" - two new addresses added as substitutions.]

Mr. W. R. Butterton, Lieutenant of Police, ACL RR., Waycross, Ga.

Mr. C. R. Cooper, Sergeant of Police, ACL RR., Waycross, Ga.

Mr. JFM, Sergeant of Police, ACL RR., ***********, Ga.

Mr. P. H. Rimes, Sergeant of Police, ACL RR., Waycross, Ga.

Mr. M. L. Carlton, Sergeant of Police, ACL RR., Waycross, Ga.

Mr. J. M. Carter, Sergeant of Police, ACL RR., Waycross, Ga.

Mr. WPR,  Captain of Police, ACL RR., Jacksonville, FLA.

Mr. W. E. Loyd, Captain of Police, ACL RR., Atlanta, Ga.

Mr. R. G. Howard, Sergeant of Police, ACL RR., Manchester, Ga.

Mr. C. W. Veale, Superintendent, ACL RR., Waycross, Ga.


[6. Letter from Veale to XXX returning the chain because of prior participation. 2/9/50]

                                                           Waycross, Georgia, February 9, 1950.

Mr. XXX,
           Captain of Police.
 

               I am returning the attached in order to not break
your chain, as I had already received similar letter from Mr. Rush,
which I am progressing.

                                                             C. W. Veale.


[7. Letter from WPR to XXX returning the chain because of prior participation. 2/9/50]

Personal-                                                  Jacksonville, Fla., February 9, 1950.
 

Captain XXX:

          I wish to acknowledge Frank C. Folks Lodge No. 192 member ship card No. 57, for 1950, in my favor, which you so sent me with your memo. dated the 8th. Thanks very much.

          I am sorry about the attached chain letter though. Mr. Dickson got ahead of you. I received his chain letter on the 8th and mailed out 10 copies. From what I hear I am expecting at least half of them back. Agent Whitmore says he has already received 3 and I did not even send him one. I can't afford to send in but one dollar so I am returning your letter herewith to send to someone else.

                                                                      WPR


[8. Letter from Captain XXX to Sergeant JFM asking him to explain non-participation.  2/11/50 ]

                                                     ******, Ga.,  February 11, 1950.

                                                                                    3 -

Personal.

Sergeant M:-

          The attached was returned by you and received back in this office this morning, without any comment.

          Do you mind advising me why you did not respond?. I may be called on to advise concerning the matter and would like to be in position to say something. There will be no criticism whatever concerning your views or reasons for declining in this case.

          As information, I received similar letter from Mr. MMD showing list of 10 persons to whom he had sent the letter. I responded and sent similar letter to 10 other persons, one of whom was Mr. Veale. It was returned by Mr. Veale with advice he had already received similar letter from Mr. Rush and was progressing same. Mr. W. M. Dickson sent similar letter to 10 other persons, including Lieutenant Butterton.

          If you do not care to progress the matter, please again return the attached, and if you don't mind, I would like to know why.

                                                                         XXX


[9. New York newspaper clipping on the Taft chain letter. 2/19/50]

                                Pro-Taft Chain Mail Irks N.Y. Republicans
                                                By John Crosson

     New York Republicans, like their party brethren everywhere, are keenly interested in the aggressive fight for reelection being waged by "Mr. Republican" -Ohio's Senator Robert A. Taft.
     But key supporters of this state's candidates, who have tough reelection battles of their own and need all the money they can dig up, are openly irked over a flood of pro-Taft chain letter solicitations that is pouring in here.

                                                     Singled Out.
     "The reelection of Senator Robert A. Taft is a matter of national import; its significance and importance extend beyond the borders of Ohio," these letters proclaim.
     "Taft has been singled out by the AFL, CIO, Railroad Brotherhoods and left-wingers generally for slaughter. Many millions of dollars are being accumulated to destroy him politically. If their forces are successful, it will have a most serious effect on the other members of Congress who are inclined to vote courageously. In short, his defeat under the circumstances would be a 'catastrophe'."

                                                    Sinister Purpose.
     The letters ask each recipient to send $1 to Ben Tate, Taft's campaign treasurer in Cincinnati, and to make 10 copies of the letter and pass them on to friends. It's desirable, the letters announce, for "several million Americans from every state" to assure Taft of their support.
     The mass appeal disturbs New York leaders, not only because it enters their own financial cabbage patch, but also because they suspect a sinister second purpose - a Machiavellian move to bypass local organizations and build up popular following and influence delegates for Taft in the 1952 Presidential race.

                                                   "An Invasion."
     "If he wanted some special help here, Taft should have spoken to Gov. Dewey and let the latter spread word through the organization," said one GOP leader. "This sort of thing is not courteous; it's practically an invasion."
     After all, the spokesman added, New York Republicans have a $100-a-plate dinner coming up May 4 at the Waldorf-Astoria, and they're also planning a door-to-door campaign to seek individual contributions of $1 or more. The Taft drive as they see it, cuts right across their path.

10. UP Newspaper article on the Taft chain letter. 2/2/1950.    > NOT part of the ACL Police files. Found using newspapers.com.
The Sandusky Register, 2 Feb. 1950, p. 1
     Washington Feb. 2 (UP) -- Sen. Robert A. Taft (R., Ohio) is trying to discourage a chain letter campaign asking one-dollar contributions to help his re-election in Ohio. Taft said that neither he, nor members of his campaign organization, started the chain letters which have shown up from coast to coast. A Taft aide said he knows of no way the senator can stop them or do more than announce publicly his disapproval. There are postal laws against chain letters used for lottery purposes, but officials could not say whether letters of the type being circulated for Taft could be classed as illegal.

Originals and carbon copies of typed letters. Newspaper clipping from a "New York paper - Mirror or News - about Feb. 19th, 1950." From the discarded files of the Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) Railroad Police. This file created by a Captain of Police (designated here as "XXX" ) for the ACL  (town designated  ******, Ga.). The ACL merged with the Seaboard Coast Line in 1967, and both are now part of the CSX Railroad. Provided by Jim Fisher to D. VanArsdale.

Senator Robert A. Taft was cosponsor of the Taft-Hartley labor law, much opposed by the unions. Taft was reelected in Nov., 1950. The Republicans chose Eisenhower as their nominee for president in 1952, much to the disappointment of conservatives who supported Taft.

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