Voices of Protest: The Politician and The Radio Priest

Voices of Protest: The Politician and the Radio Priest

Alan Brinkley, the author of Voices of Protest, wrote about Huey Long and Father Coughlin who launched attacks on Roosevelt's administration during the years of 1933 Ð'- 1935. This period of time was during the great depression. The book described in great length and detail about Huey Long and Father Coughlin, who were extremely influential politicians, and their opposition to the new society of big business and high technology. They felt that the owners of large companies such as Rockefeller, Carnegie and Pullman were to blame for the financial woes of the United States. Long and Coughlin were successful in taking their arguments and beliefs to the American people in the 1930's.

Huey Long was an energetic, passionate young man at a very young age. In fact, at the age of twenty he stated he planned to run for election. He said, "first to secondary stated office Louisiana, then for governor, then for United States Senator, and finally for president." He wrote in the New Orleans Item, "that about 65 or 70 percent of the entire wealth of the U.S. is owned by two percent of the peopleÐ'...wealth is fast concentrating in the hands of the few." He had the combination of ambition, along with the love and compassion of the less fortunate Americans. He was known throughout Louisiana as "the kingfish" because of the power and influence he possessed, almost to the point of dictatorship. For several years he was in the limelight and news constantly, in part before of his very colorful and extravagant lifestyle. Even after his death, the people of Louisiana still supported him even though his life was the center of greed and controversy. During his term as Governor, he built hundreds of miles of paved highways, provided free textbooks, constructed bridges, built hospitals, schools and a major university, Louisiana State University or better known as "LSU." He obtained his law degree from Tulane and age the age of twenty-one, he moved back to Louisiana to practice law. At the age of thirty-five, Huey Long was elected Governor of Louisiana. He did a couple of things that no governor had ever done before such as consolidating his personal power over all levels of state government and forcing through a program of progressive legislation, thus enabling him to fulfill his promise to the common people of the state. By an overwhelming majority, he won a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1930. One woman wrote, "He is a God-sent, God Fearing, God protected man. He is like Jesus." He helped exempt low-income families from state property taxes. On the other hand, he did nothing for farmers and sharecroppers who had been driven from their land. A black leader in New Orleans had in this is 1939, "The Negro masses as well as the white masses, were solidly behind Huey P. Long." Long's term in the U.S. Senate may not have won him the respect of his colleagues or media, but his finesse and power had won him something more important, the attention of the American public. While in the senate he was known to filibuster for long hours on the injustices of the wealthy and the influence they had on society. His speeches and campaigning drew large crowds wherever he traveled. His belief of big business was ruining the society and that was his main platform throughout his political life.

Charles Coughlin lived in Canada and was born into a Catholic family. His life was basically preordained for him to become a priest. He finished in the top of his class at college and taught at the College of Assumption for seven years. These years were good for what was to come later for Father Coughlin. He decided that his life was destined for priesthood. He made a lifetime friendship with Bishop Gallagher. Father Coughlin's first parish was in the small town on North Branch, Michigan He first visualized using the radio as a way of advertising. His first goal in the use of the radio was to get people to attend church, but Father Coughlin realized what the radio could do for him and his views. He delived his first radio seron on October 17, 1926 from the pulpit in Royal Oak. With the money from the radio sermons, he