Democrat Huey Long, Senator of Louisiana died on September 10th of 1935, in the State Capital of Baton Rouge. Huey's exercise of power and control over the state government even with death threats only made him carry more and more trips to Baton Rouge to push bills through. Huey not only buffed up his security, he also was concerned about his own safety and his familie's safety. Long's political maneuvers only stiffled his competition. His enemies prepared themselves and formed a paramilitary group called the Square Deal Association. The Square Deal Association included Former governors John M. Parker and Ruffin G. Pleasant and New Orleans Mayor T. Semmes Walmsley. On January 1935, about 200 armed Square Deal men stormed the East Baton Rouge Parish and demanding Govenor Allen to call the National Guard and declare Martial Law. Around July, Huey discovered an assassination plot against him from a secret meeting in New Orleans. The meeting included four congressmen Mayor Walmsley, Former Govenor Parker and Sanders as well as a man by the name of Dr. Weiss.
On September 8th 1935, while Huey was pushing bills through the Louisiana Legislation to get Judge Benjamin Pavy out of his job. Dr. Carl Weiss approached Huey and shot him at close range in the abdomin. Long's bodyguards shot Weiss 62 times before Weiss died. Huey Long died two days after on September 10th just eleven days after his 42nd birthday. Long's last words were "God, don't let me die. I have so much to do".
Huey Long was a problem for Roosevelt's career as president because Huey and Roosevelt split the democratic votes in half and would be benefitial to the Republicans. Huey's death allowed Roosevelt to later on smash Landen in the Presidential Election. Roosevelt later on won 523-8 and won more than 27 million votes to Landen's 17 million votes.
Huey P. Long proposed an interesting program ("Share Our Wealth") in which essentially no one would own less than $5,000 and no one more than $5 million, as well as each family owning a homestead equal in value or not less than one third of the average family wealth.
ReplyDeleteLong announced this program from the radio, and it grew to be very popular with many people. It's too bad he suffered such a tragic death.
more about the program:
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5109
Huey Long was an incredibly important individual in politics at the time, and knew how to make his ideas appeal to his voting base. The "Share Our Wealth" program Emily mentions, while economically unsound, was political gold, and gave Long tons of support. FDR's fear of Long splitting the progressive vote actually went farther than the 1932 election; he believed that Long's plan was to split the progressive vote so a reactionary Republican would hold office and ruin the country so that in 1936, Long would be elected and be given the powers of a dictator. Who knew where America would be if Long were still alive.
ReplyDelete"Huey's exercise of power and control over the state government even with death threats only made him carry more and more trips to Baton Rouge to push bills through. Huey not only buffed up his security, he also was concerned about his own safety and his familie's safety." You stated this in your blog and I was just curious as to why he kept pushing? If he knew he himself and his family were in danger, did he value the hustle over his family?
ReplyDeleteHuey was plotted to be taken uot of polotics through assassination by members of congress and important local and state government figures. Where they ever found out, or did their influence lead to the law having a lenient trial and sentence?
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