Page:Upbuilders by Lincoln Steffens.djvu/112

 e primaries for the nomination for state senator, the second the general election at the noils. Both were anti-boss fights. Colby opened with an announcement of his candidacy, backed by a statement of his programme. The boss and the ringsters laughed. They laughed till the first mass-meeting was held. That was expected to fall flat, but the opera house was filled to overflowing and Fagan, Record, Colby and Martin aroused the crowd to tremendous enthusiasm. But the best thing Colby did was to adopt Fagan’s method of meeting the voters face to face. Fagan told him how to do it. Colby asked him. The young club man thought there was some mystery about talking to workingmen, so he invited Mayor Mark to luncheon to get his secret. The Mayor was puzzled.

“Why, Mr. Colby,” he said, “I can’t tell you how to do that. I can tell you when you will find working r men at liberty to listen, and I can tell you how they feel about some of these great questions. But I can’t tell you what to say to them. You must say just what you think, and, Mr. Colby, if you don’t feel from the bottom of your heart a real interest in people you might as well stay at home.”

“And that,” says Colby, “is about the best advice I ever got. The instant he said it I knew