The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-13

thing besides hog lard"
He used the Bible as often in his
sales talks as he did in his political
speeches later. He knew the Bible
from cover to cover. I remember
cnce that 1 asked him a number of
pointed questions, trying to find out
if he were really sincere in his at
tachment to the book, and he grew
quite cold and measured. ut is the
only book believe or ever learned
anything FROM" he said with bel
ligerent Baptist glare.
When ne could not persuade the
women by talk, he went right into
their kitchens, rolled up his sleeves
and baked a cake or pie with his
oil compound.
Loved Good Food. Good Drink
His cakes and pies were good, as
people remember them, and to the
day of his death, Huey P Long
would ramble back into any hotel
kitchen and tell the princely chef
exactly how he wanted his food
cooked He loved good food and
good drink, but in later years he
always tasted throughout Wednes-
day and he never INDUCED in beef
steak, his favorite meat, more than
once a week.
In addition to pounding on doors.
the young salesman put on cake
baking contests in various commu-
mites, acting as his own faster and
Judge. It was at one of these con-
tests in Shreveport that he met Rose
Mcconnell, a former Greensburg
GndO girl, who was later to be-
come his wife and bear him three
children.
He left the cottonSeed oil COM
pauy to travel for a Houston pack
ing house which quickly fired him.
He was unemployed for some time
until he enrolled in Oklahoma State
University with five borrowed dol
lars.
University Years 'Happiest"
He left the university, where I
spent the happiest days of my life"
after one year, and became a travel
ing salesman again. In 1913 he and
ROst Mcconnell were married and
the next year he determined to be-
come a lawyer He borrowed $400
from his oldest brother, Julius, and
enrolled as a special student at Tu-
lane University in New Orleans. In
seven months he completed three
year law course, was admitted to the
Louisiana state bar.
He got a $4-a-month office in
WINFIELD and hung out his single
lie had three law books, his only
furniture was a white pine table,
two chairs and a kerosene lamp.
AND now begins an association which
had an incalculable influence on his
life.
Needing money badly. Huey went
to State Senator S. j. Harper, a di-
rector of the WINFIELD Bank, who
advanced him the necessary funds.
That association led him into poll
tics. Senator Harper, a free
thinking old man, was a good
mentor.
Prepared Labor Amendments
Together they prepared num-
Der of amendments to a law which
had just been enacted to limit to
$500 the right of a laborer to re-
Covery for injury during work.
Huey Long, then %, appeared be-
fore the committee in May. 1916,
seized the floor and said in part:
an Iae
Legislature been dominated by the
henchment and attorneys of the in
terestS. Those seeking reforms have
bowed their heads in shame when
witnessing the victories of these
corrupting influences at this Cacitol.
But. gentlemen, with all this,
not until 1914 did they possess the
brazen audacity to command the
General Assembly of Louisiana to
pass unanimously a law by which
a laborer's family should not receive
over an average sum of $500 for
life upon whom they depend for
support and education. There
are hours when the infidel invokes
God and the anarchist calls Tor
government"
Long, a mature man. versed in
politics, said later: 1t was my
first time to have seen Legislature
in session. The formalities, man
nerisms. kow-towing and insinceri-
ties. were to my mind. unframed to
such a scene, disgusting"
Parker Arrested As Spy
The influence of old Senator
Harper was to continue. America
got into the World War shortly
thereafter and Senator Harper. then
running for Congress. published a
pamphlet in which he stated that
the war should be supported by a
CONSUMPTION of war profits and GER
tain amounts of swollen fortunes.
He warned that ? per cent of the
people of the nation owned 70 per
cent Of its wealth.
The old fellow was indicted for
espionage by a federal grand jury
sitting at Alexandria. and he hired
the young, untried red-headed
lawyer to defend him. Huey studied
the situation.
we found out that the proSpec-
tive jurors and ourselves were being
closely shielded. either by agents of
the government or some one else.
ventured upon the expedient to take
advantage of such surveillance.
would take of talesman. whom We
cid not desire TO serve on the jury.
always where I could be seen, l
would buy him a drink I would buy
him something to eat. I would talk
with HIM in close, confidential tones,
about everything under the sun ex-
cept the Harper case. I did that
with all the prospective jurors whom
We Uapted exruSed