第43章

Thismeantthedevelopmentofanewculture,onetobefoundedontheAmericantraditionofequalityofopportunity.Butculturewasnotaweedthatgrewovernight;itwasaleaventhatspreadslowlyandpainfully,firstinoculatingafewwhosufferedandoftendiedforit,thatitmightgraduallyaffectthemany.Thespreadofcultureimpliedtherecognitionofleadership:democraticleadership,butstillleadership.Leadership,andthewisdomitimplied,didnotresideinthepeople,butintheleaderswhosprangfromthepeopleandinterpretedtheirneedsandlongingsHewentontodiscussapartoftheprogrammeoftheCitizensUnion

Whatstruckme,asIlaiddownthetypewrittensheets,wastheextraordinaryresemblancebetweenthephilosophiesofHermannKrebsandTheodoreWatling.Only——Krebs\'sphilosophywasthebigger,heldthegreatervisionofthetwo;Ihadreluctantlyandratherbitterlytoadmitit.Theappealofithadevenreachedandstirredme,whosetaskwastorefuteit!Hereindeedwassomethingtofightfor——perhapstodiefor,ashehadsaid:andasIsatthereinmyofficegazingoutofthewindowIfoundmyselfrepeatingcertainphraseshehadused——thephraseaboutleadership,forinstance.ItwasatremendousconceptionofDemocracy,thatofacquiescencetodevelopedleadershipmaderesponsible;aconceptionIwascompelledtoconfesstranscendedMr.Watling\'s,loyalasIwastohimIbegantoreflecthownovelallthiswasinapoliticalspeech——althoughwhatIhavequotedwasinthenatureofapreamble.Itwasasermon,aneducationalsermon.Well,thatiswhatsermonsalwayshadbeen,——andevennowpretendedtobe,——educationalandstirring,appealingtotheemotionsthroughtheintellect.Itdidn\'treadliketheSocialismheusedtopreach,ithadtheringofreligion.

Hehadcalleditreligion.

WithaneffortofthewillIturnedfromthisironicalanddangerousvisionofaHughParetwhomighthavebeenenlistedinaninspiringstruggle,ofamodernyetunregenerateSaulkickingagainstthepricks,condemnedtogoforthbreathingfireagainstadoctrinethatmadeatrueappeal;againstthemanIbelievedIhatedjustbecausehehadmadethisappeal.Intheactofsummoningmycounter-argumentsIwasinterruptedbytheentranceofGrierson.Hewascallingonamatterofbusiness,butbegantotalkabouttheextractsfromKrebs\'sspeechhehadreadintheMailandState.

"Whatinhellisthisfellowdrivingat,Paret?"hedemanded."Itsoundstomeliketherantingofalunaticdervish.Ifhethinkssomuchofus,andthewaywerunthetown,what\'shesquawkingabout?"

IlookedatGrierson,andconceivedanintenseaversionforhim.I

wonderedhowIhadeverbeenabletostandhim,toworkwithhim.Isawhiminasuddenflashasacunning,cruelbirdofprey,agorged,drabvulturewithbeadyeyes,aresemblancesoextraordinarythatIwonderedI

hadneverremarkeditbefore.Forhehadthehookedvulturenose,whilethepinkbaldnessofhisheadwasrelievedbyafewscantytuftsofhair.

"Thepeopleseemtolikewhathe\'sgottosay,"Iobserved.

"Itbeatsme,"saidGrierson."Theydon\'tunderstandaquarterofit——

I\'vebeentalkingtosomeof\'em.It\'stheird——dcuriosity,Iguess.

Youknowhowthey\'llstandforhoursaroundastreetfakir."

"It\'smorethanthat,"Iretorted.

Griersonregardedmepiercingly.

"Well,we\'llputacrimpinhim,allright,"hesaid,withalaugh.

Iwasinanunenviablestateofmindwhenheleftme.IhadanimpulsetosendforMissMcCoyandaskherifshehadunderstoodwhatKrebswas"drivingat,"butforreasonsthatmustbefairlyobviousIrefrained.I

readoveragainthatpartofKrebs\'sspeechwhichdealtwiththeimmediateprogrammeoftheCitizensUnion.AfterpayingatributetoGreenhalgeasamanofcommonsenseanddependabilitywhowouldmakeagoodmayor,hewentontoexplaintheprincipleofthenewchartertheyhopedultimatelytoget,whichshouldputthemanagementofthecityinthehandsofoneman,anexpertemployedbyacommission;anexpertwhosedutyitwouldbetoconducttheaffairsofthecityonabusinessbasis,preciselyasthoseofanyefficientcorporationwereconducted.Thisplanhadalreadybeenadopted,withencouragingresults,inseveralsmallercitiesofthecountry.Heexplainedinsomedetail,withstatistics,thewasteandinefficiencyanddishonestyinvariousdepartmentsunderthepresentsystem,dwellingparticularlyuponthedeplorablestateofaffairsinthecityhospital.

Ineednotdwelluponthisportionofhisremarks.Sincethentext-booksandseriousperiodicalshavedealtwiththesemattersthoroughly.TheyarenowfamiliartoallthinkingAmericans.

XXV.

Myentranceintothecampaignwasaccompaniedbyablareofpublicity,andduringthatfortnightIneverpickedupamorningoreveningnewspaperwithoutreading,onthefirstpage,somesuchheadlineas"CrowdsflocktohearParet."Asamatteroffact,thecrowdsdidflock;

butIneverquiteknewasIlookeddownfromplatformsonseasoffaceshowmuchoftheflockingwasspontaneous.Muchofitwasso,sincethestrugglehadthenbecomesufficientlydramatictoappealtothelargerpublicimaginationthatisbutoccasionallywaked;ontheotherhand,themagicofadvertisingcannotbeunderestimated;normusttheexistencebeignoredofanorganizedcorpsofshepherdsunderthevigilantdirectionofMr.JuddJason,whosedutyitwastoseethatnoneofourmeetingswaslackinginnumbersandenthusiasm.Therewasalwaysademonstrativegatheringoverflowingthesidewalkinfrontoftheentrance,swayingandcheeringinthelightofthestreetlamps,andonthefloorwithinanamplescatteringofsuspiciouslybleary-eyedvoterstostartthestampingandapplauding.Inspiteoftheseknownfacts,theimpressionofpopularity,ofrepudiationofreformbyalargemajorityoflevel-headedinhabitantshadreassuringandreenforcingeffects.

Astutecitizens,spectatorsofthefray——ifindeedtherewereany——mighthaveremarkedanuniqueandsignificantfeatureofthatcampaign:thattheusualrecriminationsbetweenthetwogreatpartieswerelacking.Mr.

Parks,theRepublicancandidate,didnotdenounceMr.MacGuire,theDemocraticcandidate.RepublicanandDemocraticspeakersalikeexpendedtheirbreathinlashingMr.KrebsandtheCitizensUnion.

Itisdifficulttorecordthefluctuationsofmyspirit.WhenIwasinthehalls,speakingorwaitingtospeak,Ireactedtothatphenomenonknownasmobpsychology,Ibecameself-confident,evenexhilarated;andinthoseearlierspeechesImanaged,Ithink,tostrikethenoteforwhichIstrove——thejudicialnote,suitabletoalawyerofweightandprominence,ofdeprecationr