Gripe Chart

Name/define each critic:

Senator Huey Long:

Long was an American politician and senator of Louisiana, he was a Democrat with outspoken populist views.

Dr. Francis Townsend:

Townsend was an elderly American physician at the time of the Great Depression who ran opposed to Roosevelt.

Fr. Charles Coughlin:

Charles E. Coughlin was one of the most influential individuals across American radio at the time, he was an ordained priest, he was considered a champion of the poor and a foe of big business.

Originally, Senator Huey Long supported Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidential campaign, but after his election, Long became critical of much of Roosevelt’s New Deal. He criticized the Emergency Banking Act because of its little to non-existent impact on small, local banks and instead supported large banking corporations. Long also attacked the National Recovery Act because of its establishment of unfair wage and price codes. He accurately predicted that these price codes would be written by the leaders of large industries and in turn, lead to price-fixing, favoring the rich. In an overall sense, Long believed that Roosevelt had done little to alleviate poverty in the lower, poorer classes or redistribute wealth. In response, Senator Huey Long instigated a movement he called “Share our Wealth” with the motto of “Every Man a King,” claiming that “unless we provide for redistribution of wealth in this country, the country is doomed.” He proposed a 100% tax on personal fortunes exceeding $8 million in an attempt to recycle this money and spread evenly amongst classes. On the second million dollars earned, the capital levy tax would drop to 1%, the third, 2%, etc. The lower class were promised estates exceeding a minimum value of $5000 and a $2500 yearly income, and the retired/elderly were promised pensions. This plan also included providing governmental support for education, old-age pensions, public-works projects, and benefits for war veterans. His socialistic plan attempted to reduce the wealth gap and overall, support the poor.

Summarize each man’s criticism of FDR & the New Deal including their proposed improvements/alternatives.

Townsend proposed the Old Age Revolving Pension Plan, a plan which would require all Americans over the age of 60 to retire and abdicate their jobs to younger Americans who were unemployed. Each retiree would receive $200 each month after 60, but were required to spend the entirety of the $200 within the month itself. In proposing this plan, Townsend wanted to stimulate the American economy by increasing spending and increasing demand for products, directly reducing cyclical unemployment; in addition, Townsend wanted to reward hard-working Americans who had contributed to the American economy for most of their lives. He believed this plan could be financed by placing a Federal tax on all wholesale and retail sales, however, this received much criticism later on in his life.

During the 1932 election Coughlin was a staunch supporter of FDR firmly stating that his listeners should vote Roosevelt or face ruin. But as time passed Coughlin grew more and more critical of the Roosevelt Administration, he formed his own organization entitled the National Union for Social Justice in 1934. Coughlin less publically identified with FDR's new deal policies and began to publish a paper entitled “Social Justice” in which he began to support more right wing reactionary groups. Coughlin began to push anti-semitic sentiment which had always been a part of the fabric of his Catholic stance but his animosity towards Jews only increased in the later half of the Great Depression. Coughlin became extreme in his accusations on Jews, conspiring that they had control over the entire American economy and that they planned to take over the world. It was for these very sentiments that Coughlin became known as "the hero of Nazi Germany."

Briefly state what became of each man & his criticism.

The Roosevelt administration did eventually implement a slightly altered and more austere version of his Townsend plan which became known as the Social Security Organization. However, Townsend himself was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service on the order of Roosevelt (Townsend’s opposing candidate) along with Louisiana’s government corruption. In 1935, Townsend faced indictment and regrouped in Louisiana, where an attempt to assassinate him in the Baton Rouge Capitol Building because of his political extremities and radical opponent parties left him mortally wounded.

His messages became so extreme that the owner of WMCA the New York station that broadcasted his show refused to broadcast him any longer which was met with outrage by the Nazi papers of the time who were outraged that the Americans were no longer allowed to hear the “truth.” Coughlin's influenced decreased drastically after America joined WWII.

Senator Huey Long had many supporters but was eventually assassinated in 1935, likely due to his radical near socialist ideas. He managed to establish the political prominence of the Long family in the years to come before he was assassinated. His movement soon faded after his assassination, but his legacy as Senator of Louisiana continued through his wife then son as political influence of the Long family continued.