The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-16
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

by DR.. HARRY ELMER BARNES
ATOW that Huey Long is dead and buried with
~ fitting pomp and circumstance one may
with good taste and relevance estimate his cpl
sode in American political history.
1t need hardly be said that the government
he installed in Louisiana was not to my style or
advantage. No one would have lived less happily
under his regime. But one should not let his
personal philosophy Of politics warp his per-
spective when trying to draw the lessons relative
to the significance Of the Long meteor in the
American political sky.
The importance Of Huey Long in American
history depends chiefly on whether or not one
believes that Fascism IS likely to become installed
for considerable period in the United States
1t is my personal opinion that the probability
is alarmingly great.
One of the possible defenseS against its ar
rival-for long period at least-would have
been enthusiastic cooperation with the New
Deal on the part of American financial leaders
and business men. Such action would have given
strength to moderate captalistic reform and
lessened the mass misery by which Fascsm is
fed and shaped.
It is hard for me to see how even any
thoughtful and honest follower of Mr.. Roosevelt
can today believe that the New Deal will provide
that reconstruction of American economic life
which is essential to any long continued pros
perity under capitalism. Whatever its original
merits. it has been sabotaged by finance, busi-
ness and the Supreme Court.
THE other safeguard would be the triumph of
L radical third party under statesmanlike
leadership But the possibility of such party
gaining great proportion under a Norman
Thomas, Paul Douglas, John Dewey or the La
Toilette brothers, appears to me to be deplorably
slight.
Any successful third party is far more likely
to be a prelude to Fascism under the leadership
of some of the demagogues now remaining after
the death of Huey Long or Of some other VINO
may arise as suddenly as dramatically as
did Long
If there are other practical possibilities OF
making capitalism sufficiently generous and lar
sighted to insure adequate maSs-purchaSlng
power and sufficiently given to enlightened self
ishness to curb the piracy Of finance capitalism
1 would be honestly indebted to have some one
point them out to me-
If Fascism is to come to the United States
and Huey Long would have been the American
"Fuehrer" or "Duce," had he lived. then think
that we may rejoice that he has been removed
from the scene, however much we deplore the
methods employed.
THIS I say because 1 believe that Long
i would have made a relatively successful, far
SIGHTED and generous dictator His very excel
for the future of American society He would
have made American FaScism very workable. lie
was devoted to education of a sort and his IN
auence on education would have been lar oil
ferent from that of Mussolni Hitler or Machado
There would have been many more college stu
dents. however much the teaching might nave
been controlled by Huey's Commissioner OF Edu-
cation.
Moreover, Huey believed in public works with
a vengeance And the United States could afford
a long orgy in this direction. BY these and other
methods Huey would probably have brought
about sufficient redistribution of wealth so
that his regime would have been long strung
out. His very success would have made Amer
lean Fascism enduring and that much more
lamentable and disastrous in the long run.
If Fascism must come, let us hope that it
will be short lived here. Hence, we should pray
for as stupid, ruthless avaricious and Short
sighted master as can be produced. The more
he tries to perpetuate the older sel1lShness ana
suicidal hoggishness the better. The quicker
will he destroy the system he has created. 10
avoid giving otfense 1 shall not nominate my
candidate but a number of persons will come to
the mind of anybody acquainted with the Amer
lean scene today.
But there is one thing on which American
Fascism dictators will have TO reckon. That is
the itchy trigger-f1nger of Americans, especially
in the South and West. And they are better
marksmen than Europe seems to have produced.
Mussolini and Hitler have provoked deeper
hatred than Huey ever did But few shots have
been fired and none have reached home.