Huey Long, The Kingfish: The President Who Might Have Been
by From Hero or Villain: More Prisoners of Eternity.
Huey Long, was he a man who had a vision for America? Or a self-serving gangster and political thug? Was he a man of the people? Or a ruthless egomaniac of unlimited ambition? Opinion remains divided to this day.
The Kingfish
Huey Pierce Long, was born in Winnfield, Louisiana, on 30 August, 1893, one of nine children. His family were poor but Huey certainly did not consider this a handicap to his ambitions and he was determined to secure a future for himself. Still a child he told his sister of his ambition to rise to the top in politics, first locally and then nationally. He certainly worked hard, first at school, and then when leaving home at 16 to become a travelling salesman. In 1913, he enrolled at University in New Orleans where he completed a three year course to become a lawyer, in just 8 months.
From the start he prided himself on being a champion of the people interested only in defending those who were unable to defend themselves. He also became heavily involved in local politics early establishing himself in the State’s Democratic Party machine.
In 1918, he was elected as a State Railroad Commissioner, and his star continued to rise. By 1921, he was Chairman of the Public Services Commission where he continued to champion the cause of the common man by lowering telephone, gas and electricity rates and reducing streetcar and railway fares. His popularity amongst the common folk of Louisiana was immense and growing. In 1928, he ran for the office of Governor of the State of Louisiana. A natural orator (an art possibly learned during his time as a salesman) and highly charismatic figure, he never blanched at taking his arguments directly to the people. Campaigning on the issue of education (Louisiana’s illiteracy rate at the time stood at 22% the highest in the United States) and against the rich parasites who marginalised the poor, he won the greatest landslide victory in the States history, polling 92,941 votes more than his nearest rival. His campaign slogan “Every man a King but no one wears a crown”, would soon become famous throughout the nation.
From the moment of his victory, Long showed that having achieved power he was determined to hold onto it. Firing hundreds of civil servants he filled the various State Municipal Boards and political hierarchy with his own supporters. These placemen he expected to contribute to his personal political war chest. He also ensured that his own newspaper, the Louisiana Progress was available for purchase from all Civic Offices. He also began a long struggle to wrest control of the State Democratic Party machine.
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