If you've read this blog before you know I "love" to complain about lost history because those who lived the history don't record or share their memories. Well, I'm back at it tonight as I prepare for this week's classes.
Right now I'm in the midst of the "HueyLongathon" I have every semester. In my Louisiana History, Louisiana Government and American Government classes I have my students watch Ken Burns' "Huey Long" and write an essay on Huey's career. I sincerely believe that one cannot understand the history of Louisiana and its government without spending some serious time learning about Huey. He is the most transformational political figure in any state in American History. For my American Government students, the stated political goals that Long was advancing cut to the core of one of the two most consistently divisive issues in American politics -- the role of the state in the lives of individuals. We are seeing that battle played out in the streets today with the Tea Party movement and Huey's programs provide a wonderful chance to look at that issue in context. So, each semester I see the video at least four times. This semester I've seen it four times and this week will see it for a fifth time with my Louisiana History students.
Each time I "teach" Huey, I am reminded of probably the greatest single frustration in my local research. Starting in 1983, I began seeking to interview someone who was present on Thursday night, November 9, 1933, when Huey made a speech outside the Webster Parish Courthouse (the 1905 courthouse that was torn down in 1970) here in Minden. Huey was in the middle of a speaking tour attacking FDR and the programs of the New Deal, throughout the state he had been making charges about our local Judge Harmon Drew in each speech. According to T. Harry Williams, a plot had been hatched here in Minden to kill Long on that night. The plan was that when Long attacked Drew, the Judge would stand to answer the charges. Williams claimed that when Drew stood, there were armed men placed throughout the crowd who would open fire on Long.
Williams never identified his sources and the Drew family has long objected and labeled the story as false. Harmon Drew actually studied under T. Harry at LSU and discussed the issue with the Professor. Harmon believes that Williams only talked to those in the Long camp and also strongly believes his grandfather would not have been involved in such a plot. Having done my Master's Thesis on John Sandlin, a contemporary politician to Drew and Long, I agree with Harmon. I find it unthinkable that the Harmon Drew I came to know through research would have been involved in such a plot.
On the other hand, I think Williams was correct in one way. I think there was a plot hatched by local anti-Longites who were friends of Judge Drew to assassinate Senator Long on that night. I think the presence of Long aide, Louie Jones of Minden, at that speech was precisely as Williams' believed, to allow Long's bodyguards to be able to locate the men in the plot and neutralize them before they could take action. That is basically what happened as the events unfolded.
Anyway, over my 27 years of seeking I came up with precisely one person who remembered that night and was willing to discuss the events. She told me in detail about what made a great impression on her that evening. Her parents had bought her an ice cream cone at the drug store and just as Huey started to speak, the top scoop on her cone fell to the ground. She was crushed. I guess that's what one can expect from the memory of a 10-year old. Now, nearly 77 years after the speech, I am convinced I'll never get a first hand account, I can only hope that someone shared with their family and the story emerges one day.
On a positive note, I'm looking forward to tonight's premiere of "Treme" on HBO. I was impressed by the clip I have seen where John Goodman's character is so angered by the journalist who suggest New Orleans should not be rebuilt. It reminds me of how we discuss in my Louisiana History class the role New Orleans filled as the 2nd most important city in this country in the Antebellum years and how ridiculous it was to suggest it not be rebuilt. Can't wait to see this Louisiana story.
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My one year of teaching LA History at Webster Jr. High...I could have spent a month or more on Huey Long. I don't necessarily agree with him politically, but he was a fascinating character in LA History.
ReplyDeleteInteresting article. I hope you find someone who can remember, but at 77 years ago, the lady you interviewed who was 10 at the time must be about 87 now. Time is running out it sounds like. Maybe hit the nursing homes around there. Huey Long, what a character. On a side note, I had a Louisiana History teacher, James Scriber, who was also our principle, that told a story about one of the other Long brothers who was governor. From the foggy memory banks of my mind i think it went life this. He was governor and his wife and another fellow wanted the power so that had my commited to an insane asylum in texas? Anyways he escaped some how and the headlines in the paper said "Louisiana Governor escapes Insane Asylum?" I never checked on the story to see if it was like that. But we have the most colorful politics in the nation.
ReplyDeleteMark, I take a whole week with Huey and it's not enough time.
ReplyDeleteDarrell, that is a true story and it involves Huey's younger brother Earl. Earl was Governor from 1939-40, 1948-52, and 1956-60. In the Spring of 1959 he had been having small strokes and started drinking too much. He began having mental problems and left his wife and began seeing the New Orleans stripper, Blaze Starr.
In May of 1959, while speaking to the Legislature attempting to defeat a bill to disenfranchise black voters (the bill was the baby of the State Senator from your neck of the woods, Willie Rainiach), Earl really "lost it." He came back the next day to apologize and did the same thing again. He agreed to go to John Sealy Hospital in Galveston for treatment. He stayed there for a few days and then made a deal with his wife and family to cooperate if they would transfer him back to Oschners in New Orleans (Earl's real reason was to get back in Louisiana where he had full power as Governor, so long as he was out of state, the Lt. Gov. was officially in charge in Louisiana).
As soon as he got checked in at Oschners he had himself checked out and went back to Baton Rouge. At that point the family took steps to have him committeed. Earl tried to "escape" to the "Pea Patch Farm" at Winnfield, but the State Police pulled him over and he was committed to the State Hospital at Mandeville.
Earl then fired the head of the State Hospital system and the head of the Mandeville Hospital. The new men in charge called a hearing and Earl was pronounced sane.
Earl was truly a character and because he was around in Louisiana politics for about 40 years (compared to the fewer than 20 years of Huey's career) there are more "good" Uncle Earl stories than there are Huey stories.
Got to love La politics. LOL
ReplyDeleteDid you ever talk to my grandfather about that speech of Huey's? He was there as a boy of eleven and remembered men packing pistols in their pockets. I thought the first episode of Treme was great.
ReplyDeleteChris, I wish I had. Momma "took care" of her class for me and she never told me anything about George remembering that night. It was another of their classmates that remembered dropping the ice cream cone and she had me talk to her, but never to George. I had wondered about that because he did remember so much about those years.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed Treme, too.