Page:Upbuilders by Lincoln Steffens.djvu/308

Rh company, but only managed it in the interest of the stockholders, he smiles.

“That is all any public utility man should be allowed to do," he says.

So Mr. Spreckels proposes to put the bad men of San Francisco in jail. But what then? What is to prevent the generation of other bad men?

There is where Mr Spreckels thinks his scheme excels all others. He knows it won't suffice to have Heney "put away" the few "bad men" Burns can catch. He knows that eternal vigilance is the price of good government. So he proposes, after this prosecution is over, to establish a permanent bureau, a staff composed of an expert accountant, to keep watch of the city's books, contracts, etc.; a detective to shadow forever the men in public office; and an attorney to receive, order, complete, and present the evidence in court. This has been done before, but never mind; it has never been done as Rudolph Spreckels is proving that he means to do it. There may be some objection to spying, but Mr. Spreckels says such a watch is the common, every-day practice in banks and in other business. So let that pass.

But what is to prevent Mr. Spreckels's accountant from "selling out”; his detective from