Page:Upbuilders by Lincoln Steffens.djvu/69



“They say you want to be Governor of New Jersey ?”

“I know that I don’t,” he said quietly. “I have asked myself that, and I know that I don’t. I don’t think that I would be able to be the Governor; I mean, able to do much for people in that high office.”

“What do you want to do, then?”

“Why, what I am doing now.”

“Always ? Do you mean that you’d like to be Mayor of Jersey City all your life?”

He looked up as if I had caught him at something foolish or extravagant, but he answered:

“If I could be — if I could go on doing things for the people all my life, as Mayor, I should be very happy. But I can’t, I suppose, so I shall be satisfied to have done so well that whoever comes after me can’t do badly without the people noticing it.”

“Well, what do you get out of serving others, Mr. Mayor? Try to tell me that truly.”

He did try. “I am getting to be a better man. You know I’m a Catholic-”

“Yes, and some people say the Catholics are against the public schools. Why have you done so much for them ?”

He was surprised. “I am Mayor of all the people, and the schools are good for the people.”