The Washington times., 1912-10-19

q, I'VE have all changed our old views
That is what the Progressive move
ment means. The two generations
thought differently. Progressivism II
the thought Of new generation. Hardly
one Of US Progressives but Ia In sense
q convert-we all did conscientiously, In
those days, something or other which
we would shudder to contemplate now
I'VE were brought up. In my child
hood. on the idea Of success. Do you
remember Our Young Folks? It was the
great children's periodical Of that time,
and think yet that It was the greatest
thing OF It's kind ever published. Well,
the serials we read there were things
like Jack Hazard or winning His
Way'-about poor canal boat boys and
farm lads who worked their way up
and made million dollars. The wor-
ship OF success-it was made into an
ideal and virtue. There was one great
human element lacking. though we
didn't see that-what Jack Hazard did
In the process to the other fellow who
hadn't made q million. No. sir; no
one thought Of him. He wasn't on the
map.
Then went to college and came
back with my ready-made set Of Fifth
avenue and university ideas. Being
good was a matter Of philanthropy
giving some Of your income to relieve
distress. Economics was a matter Of
statistics. Particularly. held to the
laissez faire doctrine OF political econ
omy-that government should keep
hands OF everything. couldn't see In
those days beyond Adam Smith.
In Hands of Gang.
when l first thought about public
life. I saw the two political organiza-
uons hard and fast In the hands Of a
gang. You know the old system. When
told my regular associates that l was
going to Join my district club, they OBJ
jected mildly-not because l was going
to mix with a corrupt gang, but be-
cause was going out OF my own
crowd. As matter OF fact, when l
Joined my district club. when went in
to the National Guard. / had no more
definite idea OF real public service than
when I went West ranching. 1 was
doing It because I liked II. and because
l wanted to save myself from being q
molly coddle.
II was stiil looking at everything
from the Jack Hazard and laissez
faire point Of view. I remember with
mon sense, fought in the State legfs-
lature against the reform Of the convict
contract labor system. honestly
thought ! was right. 1t was better that
the convicts should be kept busy. and
the contractors, felt. would treat them
right. When the labor leaders came to
me and presented their side. I couldn't
see It at all.
"But l got my FIRST lesson there. I
saw first. t.hand the general corruption In
IN IoI fhA nl1
tenn. That was before the Boss reached
his highest power; each member OF the
corrupt element was getting his own
bit for himself. Money was being
actly prove 1t in court. but privately I
knew II. I saw a bill affecting n cor
poration held up because the corpora
ton wasn't coming through strongly
enough. I saw their lobbyist arrive
from New York with the sack-after
l found out something about the under
side OF government In that session! !
And I began to think that II we only
could get rid OF what we called the cor
the business people interested and have
a business administration OF affairs.
everything would be all right.
Was All Tied Up.
They put me on the commission to
1nNeBtlHdte tcUeUntHt HouSc tOpdCSo
manufacture-and that was the next
step, l suppose. We had connected with
that work a man tied up to one Of the
old crowds-a heeler, a regular ward
politician. but sometimes right In his
heart, as such a man Is likely to be.
He said to me. Those conditions are
awful. but I can't touch them; I'm all
tied up. Now. you're free. You &c
ahead and show them up Well. he was
right. Conditions were awful. The
people lived and worked four deep in
little tenement rooms-starved. diseased
and worn out with long hours and low
pay. / went to the bottom Of the thing.
as I thought then. found that some
OF the most eminently respectable people
in New York owned those tenements.
And all that ! learned In the investiga-
tion and in the fight to pass a decent
law knocked my laissez faire theories
into a cooked hat. However you might
work II out In theory 1t was failure in
practice. Could those poor fellows get
out and do something else? Practically.
no. The frontier was gone, and In the
condition to which they were reduced.