SENATOR HUEY LONG

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 4747, 17 September 1935, Page 6

SENATOR HUEY LONG

ELECTRICAL PERSONALITY. Senator Huey Pierce Long, the selfstyled "Kingfisher" of Louisiania, who was shot last week, was born of a poor family at Winnfield in that State in August, 1893, and was a self-made man. As a lad he hawked books and sold patent medicines. He studied law at the Universities of Oklahoma and Tulane, but did not graduate. At the age of 22 he was called to the Bar. At 25 he was appointed to the Louisiana Railroad Commission and three years later to its Public Service Commission. In 1924 was Democratic candidate for the Governorship of his State and was defeated, but four years later he was elected. He made himself popular by providing free school books, parents having hitherto had to pay for them. In 1929 his contempt for ceremonial conventions nearly caused international trouble. A German cruiser arrived at New Orleans and the captain landed in the morning to pay his respects to the Governor. Mr. Long received him in pink pyjamas and carpet slippers. Highly indignant, the captain made a formal complaint of discourtesy and much tactful diplomacy was required to smooth the incident over.

Before his term expired Mr. Long had been elected to the United States Senate. Mr. Cyril Astor, Lieut.Governor of Louisiana, at once claimed the Governorship on the-ground that Mr. Long's term was thus automatically ended. Mr. Long ordered the police to arrest Mr. Astor if he appeared to press his claim and also called out the militia. He came into conflict with Texas over his proposal that all cotton-growers should sow nothing for 1932 so as to raise prices. Mr. Long initiated a great road construction scheme in the State and began to tax the big corporations, thus earning their lasting hostility. An exceedingly astute politician and a skilful organiser, Mr. Long set up a system like that of Tammany Hall and eventually secured complete control of Louisiana. For long he had been regarded as a mere mounteback, but it began to be realised that he might have to be taken seriously. His successor as Governor of the State was his tool and he was thus able to fill most of the offices with his own nominees. As the municipality of New Orleans had not knuckled under to him, he conducted an inquiry into the alleged corruption of the city administration. All the proceedings were broadcast, the Press being excluded. Mr. Long failed to prove graft. The State Assembly, which he controlled, was therefore asked to pass a measure depriving the city of self-government and vesting the power in Mr. Long's nominees. He also secured the transfer 'of the right of appointment to many posts from the local authorities to the State. AH the measures he put forward were passed automatically by the Assembly. Meanwhile, he had become popular as well as notorious all over the United States thanks to his "Share the Wealth" movement, for which in 1935 he claimed 15,000,000 supporters. He spoke regularly on the wireless to the entire nation, his talks commanding more listeners than those-of any one else except Father Coughlin. He also founded "Share the Wealth" clubs all over the country and prepared a manual for them containing quotations 'from the Bible, Josephus, Milton, Goldsmith, Daniel Webster and himself. His proposals included drastic income and inheritance taxes and a flat limitation on the annual -income or the complete fortune of everyone. One of his "stunts" for increasing his popularity was incursions into adjacent States with his private army and his political "fans" 5000 strong, in gaily striped trains to attend football matches. He has been described as, the best showman in United States .politics. But, while he studiously spoke ungrammatically in public and posed as a plain man, those who knew him declared that he was a man of brains who knew exactly what he wanted to do and how to do it.

In November, 1934, he got his tame legislature to pass a two-year moratorium on public and private debts, provided debtors could show that it was necessary. As a result the United States Government cancelled a loan to the State, while retail shops considered stopping all credit transactions. Mr. Long also got authority to dictate the rates charged by public utility companies for gas, water and the like. He told them that these would be cut at once, if the firms did not do so voluntarily.

Mr. Long had admitted that he was to be a candidate for the United States Presidency in 1936. Although a Democrat, he was an opponent of Mr. Roosevelt's policy. His behaviour led to fears of Fascism in the United States. People began to ask whether he was not American's potential Hitler and believed that his success would mean a dictatorship and the end of democracy. His actions recalled those of the Nazi leader. Thus he ordered the destruction of a student's paper which criticised him for appointing, a football player to the

Louisiana Senate. "This is my university," he said, "and I will throw anyone out who utters a word against me. I will expel a thousand students, if necessary." The militant "Square Deal Association," which opposed him, was put out of action at Baton Rouge, Mr. Long calling out the National Guards. Afterwards he broadcast allegations that this was a revolt instigated by

the Standard Oil Company and that public officials had plotted to murder him.