Huey Long: Every Man a King and Share Our Wealth (1934 CE)

Question

In the depths of the Great Depression, criticism of President Roosevelt’s handling of the economy came from both Republicans and Democrats. While many Republicans felt the President was too involved in the economy, Huey Long, a presidential candidate, felt he wasn’t involved enough. Below, Long outlines his plan for handling the economic disaster. Please add a short intro here.

It is not the difficulty of the problem which we have; it is the fact that the rich people of this country—and by rich people I mean the super-rich—will not allow us to solve the problems, or rather the one little problem that is afflicting this country, because in order to cure all of our woes it is necessary to scale down the big fortunes, that we may scatter the wealth to be shared by all of the people.

Is that right of life, my friends, when the young children of this country are being reared into a sphere which is more owned by 12 men than it is by 120 million people?

But the Scripture says, ladies and gentlemen, that no country can survive, or for a country to survive it is necessary that we keep the wealth scattered among the people, that nothing should be held permanently by any one person, and that fifty years seems to be the year of jubilee in which all property would be scattered about and returned to the sources from which it originally came, and every seventh year debt should be remitted…

It is necessary to save the government of the country, but is much more necessary to save the people of America. Now, we have organized a society, and we call it “Share Our Wealth Society,” a society with the motto “every man a king.” Every man a king, so there would be no such thing as a man or woman who did not have the necessities of life, who would not be dependent upon the whims and caprices… of the financial martyrs for a living. What do we propose by this society? We propose to limit the wealth of big men in the country. . . . We do not propose to divide it up equally. We do not propose a division of wealth, but we propose to limit poverty that we will allow to be inflicted upon any man’s family. We will not say we are going to try to guarantee any equality, or $15,000 to families. No; but we do say that one third of the average is low enough for any one family to hold, that there should be a guaranty of a family wealth of around $5,000; enough for a home, an automobile, a radio, and the ordinary conveniences, and the opportunity to educate their children. . . . We have to limit fortunes. Our present plan is that we will allow no one man to own more than $50 million. . . . Another thing we propose is old-age pension of $30 a month for everyone that is sixty years old.

We will limit hours of work. There is not any necessity of having overproduction. I think all you have got to do, ladies and gentlemen, is just limit the hours of work to such an extent as people will work only so long as is necessary to produce enough for all of the people to have what they need.



We will not have any trouble taking care of the agricultural situation. All you have to do is balance your production with your consumption. You simply have to abandon a particular crop that you have too much of, and all you have to do is store the surplus for the next year, and the government will take it over. Get together in your community tonight or tomorrow and organize one of our Share Our Wealth societies. If you do not understand it, write me and let me send you the platform; let me give you the proof of it. We have got a little button that some of our friends designed, with our message around the rim of the button, and in the center “Every man a king.” . . . Share Our Wealth societies are now being organized, and people have it within their power to relieve themselves from this terrible situation.

Two-Part Question
Part A
Multiple Choice Question
According to the text, what does Long see as the root cause of economic disparity in America?
A.
Long believes immigrants from Japan, Germany, and Italy are placing an undo burden on the American economy.
B.
Long believes the lower class is too lazy to chase the American Dream
C.
Long believes that the root cause of economic disparity in America is that the wealthy hold on to most of the money and little is left for the general public.
Part B
Multiple Choice Question
How does Long’s “Share our Wealth” program propose to address the economic inequality he sees as unfair to everyday Americans?
A.
“Share our Wealth Society” would ensure that all families had the necessities by limiting the income of the wealthy and then redistributing it.
B.
“Share our Wealth Society” would ensure that all minority families had the necessities by limiting the income of the wealthy whites and then redistributing it.
C.
“Share our Wealth Society” would ensure that rich families had everything they wanted by stippling the income of the poor and restricting opportunities for economic growth.

Answer 1

Introduction:

In the midst of the Great Depression, the economic landscape of America was marked by stark contrasts between the wealthy elite and the struggling masses. Politicians and social reformers sought solutions to the widespread poverty and economic injustice that left millions in despair. Among them was Huey Long, a controversial figure and presidential candidate, who fervently believed that drastic measures were necessary to dismantle the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. In his 1934 manifesto, Long passionately articulates his vision for a fairer society, promoting the idea that economic equity is not only a moral imperative but also essential for the nation's survival. His program, “Share Our Wealth,” calls for significant reforms aimed at redistributing wealth and ensuring that every American has access to basic necessities, thereby challenging the prevailing economic order.

Part A: Multiple Choice Question According to the text, what does Long see as the root cause of economic disparity in America? C. Long believes that the root cause of economic disparity in America is that the wealthy hold on to most of the money and little is left for the general public.

Part B: Multiple Choice Question How does Long’s “Share our Wealth” program propose to address the economic inequality he sees as unfair to everyday Americans? A. “Share our Wealth Society” would ensure that all families had the necessities by limiting the income of the wealthy and then redistributing it.