Sunday, September 15, 2013

Opening paragraphs..........................

The story seems too good to be true - but people who should know swear that it is true.  The first time that Huey P. Long campaigned in rural, Latin, Catholic south Louisiana, the local boss who had him in charge said at the beginning of the tour:  "Huey, you ought to remember one thing in your speeches today.  You're from north Louisiana, bu now you're in south Louisiana.  And we got a lot of Catholic voters down here."  "I know," Huey answered.  And throughout the day in every small town Long would begin by saying:  "When I was a boy, I would get up at six o'clock in the morning on Sunday, and I would hitch our old horse to the buggy and I would take my Catholic grandparents to mass.  I would bring them home, and at ten o'clock I would hitch the old horse up again, and I would take my Baptist grandparents to church."  The effect of the anecdote on the audience was obvious, and on the way back to Baton Rouge that night the local leader said admiringly:  "Why, Huey, you've been holding out on us.  I didn't know you had any Catholic grandparents."  "Don't be a damn fool,"  replied Huey.  "We didn't even have a horse."
-T. Harry Williams,  Huey Long

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