Huey Long first came to national attention as governor of
Louisiana in 1928 and U.S. Senator in 1930. In 1934 Long
organized his own, alternative political organization, the
Share-Our-Wealth Society, through which he advocated a populist
program for redistributing wealth through sharply graduated
income and inheritance taxes. Long also garnered attention with
his story-telling, his jokes, and his quick wit. He embraced the
nickname “Kingfish” from a clownish character on the popular
Amos and Andy radio show. He also adopted the slogan “Every Man
a King, But No One Wears a Crown,” from a speech by the great
populist speaker William Jennings Bryan, then popularized it by
writing a song, “Every Man a King,” and singing it over the
radio and on newsreels. Not everyone was captivated by Long’s
oratory, humor, or singing, however. Hodding Carter, the liberal
editor of the Daily Courier in Hammond, Louisiana, repeatedly
warned against Long’s corruption and demagoguery. Under the
spreading loblolly pine tree, the vil