Changes

While Leche continued Long's program of road-building, free textbooks, and expansion of hospital and educational facilities, he and his administration were far less committed to wealth redistribution and social programs. He ceased attacks on the oil industry, granted tax exemptions to new business and industry, and enacted a regressive [[sales tax]]. These policies brought Leche support from the the business community and the newspapers, both of which were long-time Long foes.

While Leche continued Long's program of road-building, free textbooks, and expansion of hospital and educational facilities, he and his administration were far less committed to wealth redistribution and social programs. He ceased attacks on the oil industry, granted tax exemptions to new business and industry, and enacted a regressive [[sales tax]]. These policies brought Leche support from the the business community and the newspapers, both of which were long-time Long foes.

Shortly after his inauguration, Leche said that he had taken no "vow of poverty," and corrupt practices became the standard of his administration. The "Louisiana Hayride" scandal soon impacted even [[Louisiana State University]]; its president, [[James Monroe Smith]], a native of Jackson Parish, was forced from his lucrative position.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761630,00.html|title=Louisiana: Jimmy the Stooge|publisher=''[[[Time magazine|Time]]''|accessdate=February 11, 2015|date=July 10, 1939}}</ref>

Shortly after his inauguration, Leche said that he had taken no "vow of poverty," and corrupt practices became the standard of his administration. The "Louisiana Hayride" scandal soon impacted even [[Louisiana State University]]; its president, [[James Monroe Smith]], a native of Jackson Parish, was forced from his lucrative position.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761630,00.html|title=Louisiana: Jimmy the Stooge|publisher=''[[[Time magazine|Time]]''|accessdate=February 11, 2015|date=July 10, 1939}}</ref>

To accommodate the second term of [[U.S. President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], Leche promised to cease using Long's "Share Our Wealth" mantra and to support the [[New Deal]]. In return, Roosevelt dropped the investigation of the Long machine on tax evasion charges and restored federal patronage to Louisiana. The resulting flow of federal funds, accompanied with widespread graft and corruption, became dubbed the "Second [[Louisiana Purchase]]," a reference to [[Thomas Jefferson]]'s doubling the size of the nation in 1803. Some of the federal funds from the Public Works Administration were used to construct new buildings at LSU and to expand New Orleans's Charity Hospital, the flagship project of Huey Long. Before the end of his abbreviated term, Leche and several cronies, including Superintendent of Construction George A. Caldwell (1892-1966), were [[Indictment|indicted]], and Leche was forced to resign just as the summer of 1939 began. He was succeeded for a year by then Lieutenant Governor [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]], Huey's younger brother.

To accommodate the second term of [[U.S. President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], Leche promised to cease using Long's "Share Our Wealth" mantra and to support the [[New Deal]]. In return, Roosevelt dropped the investigation of the Long machine on tax evasion charges and restored federal patronage to Louisiana. The resulting flow of federal funds, accompanied with widespread graft and corruption, became dubbed the "Second [[Louisiana Purchase]]," a reference to [[Thomas Jefferson]]'s doubling the size of the nation in 1803. Some of the federal funds from the Public Works Administration were used to construct new buildings at LSU and to expand New Orleans's Charity Hospital, the flagship project of Huey Long. Before the end of his abbreviated term, Leche and several cronies, including Superintendent of Construction George A. Caldwell (1892-1966), were [[Indictment|indicted]], and Leche was forced to resign just as the summer of 1939 began. He was succeeded for a year by then Lieutenant Governor [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]], Huey's younger brother.