Who is this?

1
Who is this?
2
Huey Long-Introduction

• People either loved or hated him.
• What did this governor do that made him so
  different and so controversial?

3
Huey P. Longs Early Life

• Long was born August 30, 1893 in Winnfield,
  Louisiana.
• The political views of his hometown may have
  influenced his thinking. Winn Parish was the home
  of the Populist movement in Louisiana, and in
  1912 the Socialist candidate for president got
  36 of the parishs vote.
• Long probably heard talk of the unfair
  distribution of wealth and may have influenced
  his politics.
• Long was the seventh child in a family of nine
  children.

4
Huey P. Longs Early Life, cont.

• He was from a middle class family, although he
  later claimed he was from a poor, deprived
  family.
• Long told the wife of the Superintendent of
  Education that he intended to become the governor
  of Louisiana and he would remember that she was
  nice to him.

5
Huey P. Longs Early Life

• described as brilliant, even by his enemies, had
  a photographic memory, but he was never a good
  student
• Quit high school and became a traveling salesmen
• The contacts that he made traveling door to door
  in the country helped in politics.
• He met his wife Rose while in Shreveport,
  Louisiana.
• Longs next career move was to enroll in law
  school. Before completing the program, he
  arranged for a special bar exam just for himself.
  He said he did not have the time or money to
  continue classes and was ready to go to work. No
  one has ever received such special arrangements.
• He passed the test and practiced law in
  Shreveport.

6
Huey P. Longs Early Life

• 1918 He told his wife he planned to be the
  governor, a U.S. senator, and then the president
  of the United States.
• Because of his age (24), he could only run for
  Railroad Commission.
• Long introduced a new technique-he mailed
  circulars to voters. Also, he borrowed money to
  buy a car and returned to visit the rural
  residents he had met while he worked as a
  traveling salesmen.
• Deduct System-people who received state jobs were
  expected to contribute regularly to his campaign
  fund. This money was deducted from state
  employees pay.

7
Huey P. Longs Early Life, cont.

• By 1923, Long ran for governor. He did not win.
• He later ran in 1927. He analyzed the first race
  and realized he needed the support of the Acadian
  Catholic farmers in addition to the Protestant
  hill farmers. He therefore offered to support
  Catholic candidates in other races and campaigned
  on their behalf. He selected a running mate who
  could campaign in French.
• His first campaign for governor, he used the new
  medium of radio to speak to the people of
  Louisiana.
• During second campaign, a Shreveport radio
  station gave him free air time.
• Long also used trucks with sound systems to help
  with his campaign.

8
Long as Governor

• In 1928 Huey P. Long was elected governor of
  Louisiana.

9
Positive Steps

• Getting the state on the road to progress meant
  paving roads first-literally.
• Long convinces the legislature to change the
  constitution to allocate money for him to use
• Church Sponsored Schools? What is the problem
  with this today?
• Taxes
• Poll Taxes Abolished
• Property Tax with high homestead exemption

10
Growing Opposition

• As Long pushed for his programs, his style
  offended more and more people. Many people
  thought his personal crudeness and character were
  inappropriate for a governor. His verbal attacks
  on critics and opponents were ruthless and his
  favorite target was big business. His feud with
  Standard Oil Company over regulations and taxes
  became legendary.

11
Growing Opposition,

• Long believed that profits earned by big business
  in the state were too high and that big business
  did not do enough in return.
• He needed more money to fulfill his promises, and
  he wanted the business interests to pay for his
  programs.
• In 1929, Long started an effort to raise the oil
  severance tax. Standard Oil led the fight against
  this tax increase.

12
Huey Long as Senator

• Long became even more aggressive as he
• headed toward his political goal. The next step
  in
• his planned path to the White House was the
• United States Senate. He ran for the Senate
• in 1930, after he had been governor for onlytwo
• years. He won the race, but he refused to take
• the oath of office or leave the state until he
  was
• sure that he had total control. Lt. Governor
• Paul Cyr had become an enemy because he was
• too independent. Huey Long did not intend to
• allow him to take over as governor. Long
• manipulated the situation so that he could leave
• Alvin O. King, president of the senate, in charge
  
• as the acting governor. So, in a way Huey was
• both U.S. Senator AND Governor of Louisiana
  (Huey has sweet skills!)

13
Long as Senator

• O.K. Allen(Governor) Longs puppet
• Continued Longs social program(CharityHospital
  and LSU Medical School in New Orleans).
• Long vs. LSU-Long felt he should be in control of
  the school
• In 1932, Long believed he total control of the
  Louisiana government, he finally reported to
  Washington.
• He made sure the legislature knew that the
  Kingfish(Amos and Andy radio show) had
  arrived.

14
Share whose wealth? Mine? Nuhuh!

• Economic Program Share Our Wealth
• The American Dream?
• Used his radio program broadcasts to acquire
  national attention to his program (Depression
  Era).
• Share Our Wealth Program
• Eliminate poverty by giving every family a
  minimum income of 5,000 year, financed by
  limiting individual incomes to a maximum of 1
  million a year.
• Provide old-age pensions of 30 a month to
  elderly people who had less than 10,000 in cash.
• Heavy estate and income taxes that would prevent
  any family from owning a fortune of more than 5
  million.
• Revenues would be used to support a large
  public-works program and subsidy education.

15
Long as Senator

• Long and Roosevelt
• Long initially supported President Franklin
  Roosevelt and his New Deal Program (name given to
  the programs enacted by Congress during President
  Roosevelts first two terms to deal with the
  problems and hardships caused by the Great
  Depression). Later he turned against the
  president and criticized him and his programs in
  his radio broadcasts.
• Historians believe the New Deal programs offered
  more benefits for people, including social
  security and minimum wage.
• President Roosevelt described Huey Long as one of
  the most dangerous men in America.

16
Huey Longs Last Days

• Long continued to return home to Louisiana and
  push the legislature to pass numerous bills he
  supported.
• In the fall of 1935, Long had several plans to
  put in effect. He wanted to pass laws giving him
  control of the New Deal programs in the state.
• Long wanted legislature to pass a bill
  (gerrymandering) designed to punish a political
  enemy (Judge Benjamin Pavy).
• Huey P. Long was assassinated September 8, 1935.
  He died two days later.
• Theories concerning his assassination
• Did Dr. Carl Weiss, the son-in-law of Judge Pavy
  actual fire the shots that killed Long?
• Was Long hit by bullets from more than one gun?
• Was the medical care Long received correct?

17
Longs Last Days

• After Huey Long died, his legacy of roads,
  bridges, hospitals, and free textbooks remained.
  Two buildings in the capital city tell the story
  as clearly as anything else he left-the
  governors mansion and the Capitol building.