Yes I realize he is using a foot operated switch. I was just using my example to point out there are two circuits there.
The terminal on the side of the foot switch goes to the ignition switch on a '59. This prevented the truck from starting if the foot button was depressed with the key off. The juice goes in the switch then out through a separate terminal from the one that went to the ballast resister. In his case the one from the starter terminal seems to be the only wire he has going to the HEI.
Now that I think about it, jumpering to the other terminal isn't going to help him. He needs to find the terminal in the key switch that is ignition in the on position and use it to the HEI. He can remove the wire from the side of the foot switch.
