按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
disproportionate emoluments； without the accumulation of a wealth
difficult to spend； why surely these big business men had been moulded in
infancy from no different clay！ All were Americans。 Instance after
instance might be cited of business men and lawyers of ability making
sacrifices； giving up their personal affairs in order to take places of
honour in the government in which the salary was comparatively small；
proving that even these were open to inducements other than merely
mercenary ones。
It was unfortunate； he went on； but true； that the vast majority of
people of voting age in the United States to…day who thought they had
been educated were under the obligation to reeducate themselves。 He
suggested； whimsically； a vacation school for Congress and all
legislative bodies as a starter。 Until the fact of the utter inadequacy
of the old education were faced； there was little or no hope of solving
the problems that harassed us。 One thing was certainthat they couldn't
be solved by a rule…of…thumb morality。 Coincident with the appearance of
these new and mighty problems； perhaps in response to them； a new and
saner view of life itself was being developed by the world's thinkers；
new sciences were being evolved； correlated sciences； a psychology making
a truer analysis of human motives； impulses； of human possibilities； an
economics and a theory of government that took account of this
psychology； and of the vast changes applied science had made in
production and distribution。 We lived in a new world； which we sought to
ignore； and the new education； the new viewpoint was in truth nothing but
religion made practical。 It had never been thought practical before。
The motive that compelled men to work for humanity in science； in
medicine； in artyes； and in business； if we took the right view of it；
was the religious motive。 The application of religion was to…day
extending from the individual to society。 No religion that did not fill
the needs of both was a true religion。
This meant the development of a new culture； one to be founded on the
American tradition of equality of opportunity。 But culture was not a
weed that grew overnight； it was a leaven that spread slowly and
painfully； first inoculating a few who suffered and often died for it；
that it might gradually affect the many。 The spread of culture implied
the recognition of leadership： democratic leadership； but still
leadership。 Leadership； and the wisdom it implied； did not reside in the
people； but in the leaders who sprang from the people and interpreted
their needs and longings。。。。 He went on to discuss a part of the
programme of the Citizens Union。。。。
What struck me； as I laid down the typewritten sheets； was the
extraordinary resemblance between the philosophies of Hermann Krebs and
Theodore Watling。 OnlyKrebs's philosophy was the bigger； held the
greater vision of the two； I had reluctantly and rather bitterly to admit
it。 The appeal of it had even reached and stirred me； whose task was to
refute it！ Here indeed was something to fight forperhaps to die for；
as he had said： and as I sat there in my office gazing out of the window
I found myself repeating certain phrases he had usedthe phrase about
leadership； for instance。 It was a tremendous conception of Democracy；
that of acquiescence to developed leadership made responsible； a
conception I was compelled to confess transcended Mr。 Watling's； loyal as
I was to him。。。。 I began to reflect how novel all this was in a
political speechalthough what I have quoted was in the nature of a
preamble。 It was a sermon； an educational sermon。 Well； that is what
sermons always had been；and even now pretended to be；educational and
stirring； appealing to the emotions through the intellect。 It didn't
read like the Socialism he used to preach； it had the ring of religion。
He had called it religion。
With an effort of the will I turned from this ironical and dangerous
vision of a Hugh Paret who might have been enlisted in an inspiring
struggle； of a modern yet unregenerate Saul kicking against the pricks；
condemned to go forth breathing fire against a doctrine that made a true
appeal； against the man I believed I hated just because he had made this
appeal。 In the act of summoning my counter…arguments I was interrupted
by the entrance of Grierson。 He was calling on a matter of business； but
began to talk about the extracts from Krebs's speech he had read in the
Mail and State。
〃What in hell is this fellow driving at； Paret？〃 he demanded。 〃It sounds
to me like the ranting of a lunatic dervish。 If he thinks so much of us；
and the way we run the town； what's he squawking about？〃
I looked at Grierson； and conceived an intense aversion for him。 I
wondered how I had ever been able to stand him； to work with him。 I saw
him in a sudden flash as a cunning； cruel bird of prey； a gorged； drab
vulture with beady eyes； a resemblance so extraordinary that I wondered I
had never remarked it before。 For he had the hooked vulture nose； while
the pink baldness of his head was relieved by a few scanty tufts of hair。
〃The people seem to like what he's got to say；〃 I observed。
〃It beats me；〃 said Grierson。 〃They don't understand a quarter of it
I've been talking to some of 'em。 It's their dd curiosity； I guess。
You know how they'll stand for hours around a street fakir。〃
〃It's more than that；〃 I retorted。
Grierson regarded me piercingly。
〃Well； we'll put a crimp in him； all right；〃 he said； with a laugh。
I was in an unenviable state of mind when he left me。 I had an impulse
to send for Miss McCoy and ask her if she had understood what Krebs was
〃driving at；〃 but for reasons that must be fairly obvious I refrained。 I
read over again that part of Krebs's speech which dealt with the
immediate programme of the Citizens Union。 After paying a tribute to
Greenhalge as a man of common sense and dependability who would make a
good mayor； he went on to explain the principle of the new charter they
hoped ultimately to get； which should put the management of the city in
the hands of one man； an expert employed by a commission； an expert whose
duty it would be to conduct the affairs of the city on a business basis；
precisely as those of any efficient corporation were conducted。 This
plan had already been adopted； with encouraging results； in several
smaller cities of the country。 He explained in some detail； with
statistics； the waste and inefficiency and dishonesty in various
departments under the present system； dwelling particularly upon the
deplorable state of affairs in the city hospital。
I need not dwell upon this portion of his remarks。 Since then text…books
and serious periodicals have dealt with these matters thoroughly。 They
are now familiar to all thinking Americans。
XXV。
My entrance into the campaign was accompanied by a blare of publicity；
and during that fortnight I never picked up a morning or evening
newspaper without reading； on the first page； some such headline as
〃Crowds flock to hear Paret。〃 As a matter of fact； the crowds did flock；
but I never quite knew as I looked down fro