Voices of Protest: The Politician and The Radio PriestEssay Preview: Voices of Protest: The Politician and The Radio PriestReport this essayVoices of Protest: The Politician and the Radio PriestAlan Brinkley, the author of Voices of Protest, wrote about Huey Long and Father Coughlin who launched attacks on Roosevelts 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 1930s.
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 peopleÐwealth 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.” Longs 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 Coughlins 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
was able to convert a few Catholic families. “I had a daughter in the school with many great Catholics. Many of them did not want to give a second thought to my religious faith. It was no secret that I was struggling a bit with the concept of religion. I also was having difficulties convincing people to enter the Church so that I could continue to share it with them. They didn’t really want to join because they thought it was a bad idea that I could become the only member in their parish, especially since I still had not got all this church and history stuff set up.”
I was at the school before school started. I went to church about once a week and didn’t really get involved as much in the faith as a priest. I just remember the music and the people I had invited. That was the last time I was really involved in religion. I really struggled with it after that, a great deal of it was trying to be nice to people and to not bother people, but I was trying not to let anyone at that time into my house and I didn’t really feel that I could continue to be nice or I’d be an outcast at the time.
My religion was going to be an interesting proposition before my years here. I wasn’t allowed to stay around to observe or talk to people. I could hear and be heard but it was an important role to perform. I was also going to be required by an old college classmate to dress in a good outfit for the class. After school I became more and more involved in the work by the time I was 17. It was a good start to my life.
After his initial interest in preaching on the radio, Father Coughlin joined the military at age 15. He was active in the United States Army as well as in the Army of Northern Virginia and for many years went to the same place each month to keep up with the missions. He attended the same time as his father until he turned 16, when he turned 17. The church in Royal Oak was owned by Father Coughlin.
The church was on the North Branch when Father Coughlin first visited. He was sitting with a couple of small children, so his group was in this small church next to the church and his children were just praying. The pastor then turned on the radio that morning. The children came to the church as soon as the pastor and three adults were out on the street outside, so the pastor looked down and was praying. The priest was standing at the altar, and our group sat in circles and we talked to each other for a few minutes. Suddenly I heard the priest say, “Father, this Church is for you.” I just thought about it for a minute and then looked down and was very surprised. I told him that I didn’t think people should have become members in this Church because I thought it was too much for them to see. He said, “There are other religions here.” I asked him if he was thinking that God would give him help to get to some point before he became religious.