A traveling country singer became one of Idaho’s most liberal US senators and was later arrested

IDAHO FALLS – As nan Senate clerk called for Theodore Bilbo to beryllium sworn in, Glen Taylor roseate from his table to object.

It was Jan. 3, 1947 and Taylor, Idaho’s elder U.S. Senator — a progressive Democrat from Pocatello who historians opportunity whitethorn beryllium nan state’s astir wide leader to day — opposed Bilbo’s inauguration. The recently re-elected Democrat from Mississippi was a achromatic supremacist and a personnel of nan Ku Klux Klan. Racist comments had reportedly dominated his 1946 re-election campaign.

In a 2019 book by three-term Ohio Congressman Sherrod Brown, nan writer explains Bilbo told voters “to get retired and spot that nary n***** votes.”

A typical committee investigating Bilbo’s run wished Bilbo encouraged elector registrars to “think up questions capable to disqualify undesirables” from voting. Bilbo apparently supported unit against African-American voters.

Later, an investigation into his run expenditures recovered he’d received galore forbidden gifts connected nan run trail, including a caller car and a swimming excavation for his home.

Despite these charges, a committee consisting of 3 democrats and 2 republicans recommended connected a statement formation ballot that Bilbo beryllium sworn successful anyway.

Three weeks later, erstwhile Bilbo was called to nan beforehand of nan Senate Chambers to beryllium sworn in, Taylor stood up and requested Bilbo’s swearing successful beryllium delayed.

“What a hypocritical and blasphemous motion we would witnesser today, if Mr. Bilbo were to guidelines successful our midst and spot his hands connected The Holy Bible and committedness (falsely) to antiauthoritarian institutions, to free elections, to nan authorities of citizens,” Taylor said, according to Brown.

Taylor said against Bilbo for astir an hour, Brown writes. The writer includes an excerpt from a well-known newspaper columnist astatine nan time, who explains “Bilbo came complete and sat down a fewer feet from nan speaker … glowering up pinch an arrogance seldom equaled successful Senate history.”

Several republicans introduced a solution to contradict Bilbo his seat.

Bilbo had crab astatine nan clip and had an upcoming aesculapian procedure. The Senate number leader asked for nan chat to beryllium tabled while Bilbo underwent surgery.

Bilbo ne'er was sworn in. He died 8 months later connected a New Orleans infirmary bed.

Sen. Theodore Bilbo, D-Mississippi, was first elected successful 1934. He served until his decease successful 1947. | Courtesy Wikipedia

Taylor’s apprehension and governmental views

Civil authorities was an rumor Taylor supported astir 2 decades earlier it became a nationalist activity led by Martin Luther King — and Taylor often paid a precocious value for his beliefs.

In 1948, Henry Wallace, erstwhile vice president to FDR, ran for president connected a 3rd statement summons and selected Taylor arsenic his moving mate. Harry Truman yet won that election, but during a run extremity successful Birmingham, Alabama, Taylor was arrested while speaking astatine a achromatic younker rally.

The Birmingham Police Department arrested Taylor for trying to participate a doorway labled “coloreds only.” Brown writes successful his book that Taylor was driven astir successful a constabulary car and “subjected to taunts and threats” from officers earlier being taken to jail.

“It was a large communicative each astir nan country. Not each time a United States legislator gets arrested,” governmental historiographer Marc Johnson told KTVB successful 2021.

To this day, KTVB reports Taylor is nan only sitting U.S. legislator to ever beryllium arrested for protesting.

Taylor was a arguable fig successful authorities for espousing what his governmental opponents called “semi-socialist” views. This cognition came successful portion from Taylor’s guidance to nan Truman Doctrine, overseas argumentation established by President Harry Truman that pledged American support to “free peoples” resisting communist takeover.

“The pathological fearfulness and hatred of Russia … is starring immoderate of our much able citizens to consequence nan extinction of mankind successful a hopeless effort to erase communism from nan earth,” Taylor said successful a power reside successful 1947. “Our militaristic Wall Street Foreign Policy … has grounded to make friends of Russia, and by its arrogant mode has costs america nan relationship of practically each state connected earth.”

Taylor’s early life and preamble to politics

Taylor was calved successful Portland, Oregon. His family moved to Kooskia successful bluish Idaho six weeks later, according to his obituary. He settled successful Pocatello years later pinch his woman and kids.

He held a assortment of jobs successful his early life, and near schoolhouse aft his eighth-grade twelvemonth to activity for his brother’s banal theatre company. Eventually, he gained a estimation arsenic a state occidental singer.

As an adult, he and his wife, Dora, toured pinch their kids successful a family set called The Glendora Singers.

Glen Taylor, left, and his family band. | Courtesy Rick Just

In 1932, nan 28-year-old Taylor visited his relative successful Arco. Taylor recovered a book connected his cousin’s bookshelf called “The People’s Corporation” by King Camp Gillette, nan creator of nan Gillette razor.

In nan book, Gillette refers to himself arsenic a “Utopian socialist” and Taylor was awestruck pinch galore of his ideas.

This sewage him reasoning astir politics.

Four years later, Taylor was successful Driggs looking for a spot for his family to execute and saw Gov. C. Ben Ross and his caput of authorities holding a run rally astatine a mini theatre successful town. To Taylor, it looked liked a rehearsed vaudeville act.

“If he tin do this and get elected to agency … truthful tin I,” Taylor wrote successful his 1979 autobiography. “But I tin do it amended than C. Ben Ross because he is an amateur and I americium a professional.”

When he told his woman astir his decision, she reminded him that they didn’t person a imperishable reside successful Idaho. Political candidates must person impervious of residency for nan authorities they represent. That’s really they ended up successful Pocatello.

Though Taylor first ran for Congress successful 1938, his first predetermination triumph didn’t hap until 1944 erstwhile he narrowly defeated his Republican opponent, C.A. Bottolfsen, pinch 51% of nan vote.

RELATED | How a journalist from Arco became nan first Idaho politician to service nonconsecutive terms

The first master character ever elected to Congress utilized his capacity skills to get elected.

Taylor’s son, Arod, recalls his father’s different run style successful Brown’s book.

“We bought a mini boat,” Arod says, and “put it connected apical of our aged Ford, put our luggage successful nan vessel and covered it pinch a canvass and sat connected it erstwhile we were singing. I entertained them, daddy said to them, and mother collected nan money. We did that astir 5 aliases six times a day.”

After nan election, Taylor continued strumming his guitar for crowds during a cross-country travel to Washington connected horseback.

Sen. Glen Taylor strums his guitar for a crowd astatine Seal Beach, California earlier starting disconnected by horseback connected a cross-country speaking tour. | Courtesy Spokesman-Review

“Upon his presence successful Washington, D.C., Taylor rode his horse, Nugget, up nan steps of nan U.S. Capitol building,” one article reports. “The lodging shortage caused by World War II was still successful afloat plaything and truthful he and his family had a difficult clip uncovering a spot to live. In response, Taylor stood extracurricular nan building and sang, ‘O springiness america a home, adjacent nan Capitol dome, pinch a gait for 2 children to play.'”

The capacity was successful successful attracting attraction from renters.

The Red Scare and life aft politics

Taylor’s efforts successful opinionated up to what Brown calls “McCarthyite hysteria” successful nan early 1950s made him a governmental target.

His governmental opponent, Republican Herman Welker, lumped Taylor into a group of “87 communists successful Idaho … and radicals and stooges and crackpots who consistently travel nan statement formation and play correct into nan communist cause.”

Taylor grounded to unafraid a re-election bid. He ran again successful 1956, but mislaid nan superior to Democrat Frank Church, who went connected to service successful nan U.S. Senate for 24 years.

RELATED | The communicative of Idaho’s 18th politician and nan governmental connection that denied him a 2nd term

Taylor and his woman moved to Milbrae, California and started making hairpieces. He started wearing toupees arsenic a shape performer years earlier.

“There isn’t overmuch request for bald juvenile starring men, and I tried everything – sheep dip, what person you – and that conscionable made it autumn retired faster,” Taylor erstwhile said.

When he first ran for nationalist office, he wasn’t wearing a hairpiece. He concluded that voters “didn’t person overmuch usage for bald politicians” but that “I ran nan 4th clip pinch it and won.”

Taylor earned a patent for his merchandise and his handmade hairpieces became a celebrated business task called Taylor Topper Inc. Today, it’s called Taylormade Hair Replacements. It’s owned by Taylor’s son, Greg.

His bio besides lists respective acting credits successful his later years. According to IMDB, he appeared successful an section of “Death Valley Days” successful 1960 and 10 episodes of “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett.”

Taylor passed away successful 1984 astatine property 80 from Alzheimer’s.

Glen Taylor connected horseback. | Courtesy KTVB

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