“I’m a small fish here in Washington. But I’m the Kingfish to the folks down in Louisiana.”
Huey Long was a politician serving as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932. He was also the United States senator from 1932 and held the position until his assassination in 1935. He began his political campaigns with social reforms and radical welfare proposals which were mostly directed toward uplifting the poor. Coming from an impoverished background, he went on to pass the bar examination in 1915. Soon Long became a populist hero and the champion of the poor, but his demeanor of being a dictator to control his home state quickly overshadowed his good points. He came to be seen as a controversial figure furthering the cause of his candidature as a fiery orator, and he soon became famous for being a corrupt demagogue.
The extraordinary personality of Huey Long made him quite likable as well as notorious among the people of the time. But our hero here had a better way to describe himself “I’m suis generis (one of a kind), just leave it at that.” Let’s take a look at more of the remarkable sayings by Long and decide for ourselves how we want to perceive his words.
1. “I’m for the poor man- all poor men, black and white; they all gotta have a chance. They gotta have a home, a job, and a decent education for their children. ‘Every man a king- that’s my slogan.” – Huey Long
Long in his political career demonstrated for the poor people. Since he himself came from a humble background, he was better able to understand the needs and problems of poor people. He didn’t differentiate between any, and thus this attitude of him made him a hero of the impoverished classes of society. He gave a slogan of “Every man a king,” which helped people identify with his agendas.
2. “You sometimes fight fire with fire. The end justifies the means. I would do it some other way if there was time or if it wasn’t necessary to do it this way.”- Huey Long
Long emphasizes the way importance of having a justified end. We fight with our issues by hook or by crook. If we are successful, our methods become examples for others to follow, and that is what Huey Long is doing. He gives importance to the end and summarizes the process as fighting fire with fire.
3. “Always take the offensive- the defensive ain’t worth a damn.”- Huey Long
It is important to be proactive to be able to deal with problems in life. This quote points to the fact that taking action is the best way to remove the problem rather than being defensive and fearing away from it. The saying propels us to do something and change our present situation instead of not doing anything and just whining.
4. “Everything I did, I’ve done it with one hand because I’ve had to fight with the other.”- Huey Long
Talking about his tough political career, Huey Long openly speaks about the way he has to fight controversies and criticisms. But instead of getting down with it, he owns his reality and continues with his work. This quote opens our eyes as well, as, in life, there will always be some troubles, and it is never going to be a smooth ride.
5. “A man is not a dictator when he is given a commission from the people, and he carries it out.”- Huey Long
To understand his persona as a skilled politician, this saying is the aptest. Long has been called a dictator throughout his career, but he does not offer a counter explanation to wash away any blame. Instead, he boldly owns this personality and plays it as a mandate of the common people. We can clearly see a strong, confident politician who has the backing of loyal followers through this quote.
6. “A perfect democracy can come close to looking like a dictatorship, a democracy in which the people are so satisfied they have no complaint.” (about his critics)- Huey Long
Taking on his critics, Long once again defines his ideas and methods in a colloquial way to appeal to the people and shut the mouth of his opponents. It is only he who can understand dictatorship as the form of a perfect democracy. But even if we may not agree with him, it is undeniable that his confidence does not convince us for a moment.
7. “Treat them just the same as anybody else; give them an opportunity to make a living, and to get an education.” – Huey Long
Sayings like this gave the poor people hope to look forward to. Huey Long, in most of his speeches, talked about the poor people and how they should be given the same opportunities and respect in society. It is from these strata of people that he got his maximum supporters.
8. “My voice will be the same as it has been. Patronage will not change it. Fear will not change it. Persecution will not change it. It cannot be changed while people suffer. The only way it can be changed is to make the lives of these people decent and respectable. No one will ever hear political opposition out of me when it is done.”- Huey Long
Fearlessness is one of the most important character traits of any politician. It is that reliable feature on which people build their trust. Speeches like these arouse in people’s hearts a desire to see their dreams getting fulfilled and their problems getting solved. Huey makes it clear that any patron and his fear will not change his path of working, and he will continue on it unless he reaches his goals. We can take encouragement from this saying to be kind and helpful to people less fortunate than us.
9. “You will find that you cannot do without politicians. They are a necessary evil in this day and time…”- Huey Long
Long is being frank here when he points toward the truth of political shenanigans. Even though the quote was uttered more than seventy-five years back, it still holds its relevance today. We often blame dirty politics and cunning politicians for every problem present in our society today; however, it is also true that without the system of politics, it would be mayhem. Therefore no matter whether we like it or not, politicians are the necessary evil of this system.
10. “Hard work is as overrated as monogamy.”- Huey Long
This quote reflects the personality of Long, who believes that work can be done even without doing hard work. He gives a very interesting analogy by comparing monogamy with hard work, both of which seem to be overrated. We may not get inspired by this saying, but it is sure as hell a remarkable one.
11. “Anybody that lets his public policies be mixed up with religious prejudice is a plain fool.”- Huey Long
Again this quote is as relevant today as it was at the time of Huey Long. Many politicians often take the role of religious preceptor to gain followers, which was also rampant 100 years back. It is important to define a fine line between the two so that people are not fooled by these tactics. Awareness in this area is required.
12. “For the present, you can just call me the Kingfish.”- Huey Long
Proud of the name he gave to himself, Long proposes the media call him that. It is his confidence that makes him a strong and charismatic politician who owns his criticisms as medallions on his chest. We can sense that he is fearless and challenges his opponents.
13. “You are giving a little man a biscuit to eat, and you put a barrel of flour more taxes on top of his head to carry.”- Huey Long
Championing the cause of poor people, Huey Long uses provocative vocabulary to talk about the condition of the poor people. This visualization helps people to better understand their problem and thus support the person who provided them with imagination. With sayings like these, we can better grasp the working of a politician’s mind.
14. “I used to get things done by saying please. Now I dynamite ‘em out of my path.”- Huey Long
This quote is provocative in its own manner but holds the power of inspiring the one who reads it. It basically points toward the fact that there will always be people in our lives who wish ill for us and who are unhappy with our successes. There is no need to try to please these kinds of people. Removing this negativity is the only way to deal with them, whether they like it or not.
15. “Raise all the hell you want to, and print what you want to. But we’re going to have that medical school, and every qualified poor boy can go.”- Huey Long
With this last saying in the list, we can understand how strong a leader Huey Long was. He has always worked for the benefit of the poor people and thus became their savior. He was ready to take the disapproval of his opponents to continue down his path. His great footing inspires the hard worker within us.
How do you like to take this old politician in the times of today? Do you see him as a dictator or s a champion of the poor people after going through his remarkable quotes? Do let us know your favorite one!
What was Huey Long’s famous slogan?
The catchphrase of Long’s Share Our Wealth plan during the Great Depression and the title of his 1933 memoirs both use the phrase “Every man a king,” which became his most famous political catchphrase.
What was Huey Long famous for?
Long established a public works program that was unheard of in the South and built state buildings, hospitals, schools, bridges, and highways. Long built 2,816 miles (4,532 km) of gravel roads and increased the number of paved roadways in Louisiana from 331 to 2,301 miles (533 to 3,703 km) during his four years as governor.
What is the central idea of every man a king?
Class disparity was at the core of Long’s “Every Man a King” speech, which identified it as the main problem facing America. In his speech, he discusses inequality from a variety of angles, but the three main ones he uses are scripture, history, and common sense.
Fascinating Facts About Huey Long.
1. A gifted student, he was expelled prior to graduating.
2. Despite receiving a scholarship to Louisiana State University, he was unable to go.
3. After just one year of law school, he passed the BAR exam.
4. He was willing to have his knuckles bloodied.
5. He was hero to the poorer people.