Page:Upbuilders by Lincoln Steffens.djvu/275



food or all the oil or all the steel in our world, we take him seriously — too late. I think that Rudolph Spreckels, capitalist, bank president, captain of industry, who, at thirty-five, has devoted his knowledge of men and business methods good and bad; his patient impatience; his talent for organization and his executive ability, to reform in the united cities of America — such a man is worth our study.

At any rate, he is the political ideal of the business world. All over the country I have heard business men say that what we want is some good business man who will apply good business methods to politics and government and give - us a good, businesslike administration. The efficacy of this solution is dubious, but never mind. Here we have the business men’s dream come true; here we have the business man “sacrificing his money and his still more valuable time” to the public service. How do business men receive the devotion of Rudolph Spreckels? Do they like and applaud and support him ?

No. Business men do not like and applaud and support Mr. Spreckels. They denounce him and they oppose him and they oppose his reform. The leading business men of San Francisco hate and they vilify him, and they oppose his prosecution of criminals. They and their