Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2007 - (Page 15)

throughout the state had merit, the Medical huey long versus the New deal Society had done nothing to realize this proThe election of September 1934 was held withposal. He could find no evidence to out violence, however. The factions negotiated a support the charge of mass tonsillectomies truce and presided over a relatively fair election. and other abuses. The 48 alleged political Long’s forces overwhelmed the Old Regulars. The favors covered six years. troops went home. Henry concluded that the Medical Society Some hope remained for approval of the hospimembership was “entirely incompetent to tal proposal into 1935. The legislature had auexpress an opinion.” He said thorized Charity to issue their opposition was motibonds. This authority, said vated by fear of “state medihad to No one had attempted to erect the PWA,supremebe tested by cine” and a threat to their the state court. The financial interests. Their court test was arranged, and such a huge building on New concern with the possible Orleans’ spongy soil. So it was not the hospital’s authority was competition was clear upheld on March 22, 1935. enough. The threat of “state But in the following month altogether a surprise when medicine” was less clear. Long created the state Bond Big Charity began to sink. Unlike other states, Louisiana and Tax Board, and Ickes had a tradition of charity embargoed new Louisiana hospitals extending back to 1793. Its physicians had lived projects. Even though Long wanted the hospital, he wanted comfortably with this. Perhaps the expanding of federal even more to be able to keep federal projects out of the and state government during the early New Deal raised the hands of his enemies. prospect of greater socialization of health care. Delos Smith, an attorney for the hospital, paid a visit to However, the arguments between the hospital and the Colonel Horatio Hackett, PWA assistant administrator, to Medical Society were no longer the main issue. The political promote the project. During their conference, Hackett told situation in the state was near the boiling point. Long had Smith not to expect PWA money as long as Huey Long conordered the National Guard to occupy the voter registration trolled the state. Smith tried to get Hackett to confirm this headquarters in New Orleans, and its machine guns now in writing, but Hackett replied that “the political activities faced 400 city policemen across the street in city hall. Long’s of any one man have nothing to do with PWA actions.” He battle with the city’s entrenched “Old Regulars” political did, however, say that he couldn’t approve projects where base had reached the point of possible armed conflict. This “a situation of legal uncertainty exists such as has been was not a situation into which the PWA wanted to pump created in Louisiana.” millions of dollars. After the assassination of Huey Long and the Fall 2007/LOUISIANA ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES 15 HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2007

Contents Friends & Letters Editor’s Column Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Big Charity: A History of New Orleans’ Public Hospital Historic New Orleans Collection Making Groceries: A History of New Orleans Markets New Orleans’ Faubourg Tremé: Rooted in Tradition Jazz Notes Louisiana Association of Museums Chinatown New Orleans Louisiana Foodways A Question of Secession Louisiana Architecture Louisiana State Museum The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish Terra Incognita Bookstand Sound Advice Forum

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2007

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