Itwasmyfirstexperienceofthekind。VariousmenwhomIhadknownwellsociallyandhadbeentaughttolookupto，prominentbusinessmenandlawyers，actedinawaywhichnotonlyastoundedme，butwhichIwasquiteunabletoreconcilewiththetheoriesIhadformedastotheirhighstanding——Iwaslittlemorethanayearoutofcollegeatthetime。Generally，ashasbeenalwaysthecasesince，theywerecarefultoavoidanydirectconversationwithmeonaconcretecaseofwhatwenowcall“privilege“inbusinessandinpolitics，thatis，ofthealliancebetweenbusinessandpoliticswhichrepresentsimproperfavorsrenderedtosomemeninreturnforimproperconductonthepartofothersbeingignoredorpermitted。
Onememberofaprominentlawfirm，anoldfamilyfriend，did，however，takemeouttolunchoneday，evidentlyforthepurposeofseeingjustwhatitwasthatIwishedandintendedtodo。Ibelievehehadagenuinepersonallikingforme。HeexplainedthatIhaddonewellintheLegislature；thatitwasagoodthingtohavemadethe“reformplay。”thatIhadshownthatIpossessedabilitysuchaswouldmakemeusefulintherightkindoflawofficeorbusinessconcern；
butthatImustnotoverplaymyhand；thatIhadgonefarenough，andthatnowwasthetimetoleavepoliticsandidentifymyselfwiththerightkindofpeople，thepeoplewhowouldalwaysinthelongruncontrolothersandobtaintherealrewardswhichwereworthhaving。I
askedhimifthatmeantthatIwastoyieldtotheringinpolitics。
HeansweredsomewhatimpatientlythatIwasentirelymistakenasinfactIwasabouttherebeingmerelyapoliticalring，ofthekindofwhichthepaperswerefondoftalking；thatthe“ring。”ifitcouldbecalledsuch——thatis，theinnercircle——includedcertainbigbusinessmen，andthepoliticians，lawyers，andjudgeswhowereinalliancewithandtoacertainextentdependentuponthem，andthatthesuccessfulmanhadtowinhissuccessbythebackingofthesameforces，whetherinlaw，business，orpolitics。
Thisconversationnotonlyinterestedme，butmadesuchanimpressionthatIalwaysrememberedit，foritwasthefirstglimpseIhadofthatcombinationbetweenbusinessandpoliticswhichIwasinafteryearssooftentooppose。IntheAmericaofthatday，andespeciallyamongthepeoplewhomIknew，thesuccessfulbusinessmanwasregardedbyeverybodyaspreeminentlythegoodcitizen。Theorthodoxbooksonpoliticaleconomy，notonlyinAmericabutinEngland，werewrittenforhisespecialglorification。Thetangiblerewardscametohim，theadmirationofhisfellow-citizensoftherespectabletypewasapttobehis，andtheseverenewspapermoralistswhowerenevertiredofdenouncingpoliticiansandpoliticalmethodswerewonttoholdup“businessmethods“astheidealwhichweweretostrivetointroduceintopoliticallife。HerbertCroly，in“ThePromiseofAmericanLife。”
hassetforththereasonswhyourindividualisticdemocracy——whichtaughtthateachmanwastorelyexclusivelyonhimself，wasinnowaytobeinterferedwithbyothers，andwastodevotehimselftohisownpersonalwelfare——necessarilyproducedthetypeofbusinessmanwhosincerelybelieved，asdidtherestofthecommunity，thattheindividualwhoamassedabigfortunewasthemanwhowasthebestandmosttypicalAmerican。
IntheLegislaturetheproblemswithwhichIdealtweremainlyproblemsofhonestyanddecencyandoflegislativeandadministrativeefficiency。Theyrepresentedtheeffort，thewise，thevitallynecessaryeffort，togetefficientandhonestgovernment。ButasyetI
understoodlittleoftheeffortwhichwasalreadybeginning，forthemostpartunderverybadleadership，tosecureamoregenuinesocialandindustrialjustice。NorwasIespeciallytoblameforthis。ThegoodcitizensIthenknewbest，evenwhenthemselvesmenoflimitedmeans——menlikemycolleagueBillyO’Neill，andmybackwoodsfriendsSewallandDow——werenomoreawakethanIwastothechangingneedsthechangingtimeswerebringing。Theiroutlookwasasnarrowasmyown，and，withinitslimits，asfundamentallysound。
Iwishtodwellonthesoundnessofouroutlookonlife，eventhoughasyetitwasnotbroadenough。Wewerenorespectersofpersons。
Whereourvisionwasdevelopedtoadegreethatenabledustoseecrookedness，weopposeditwhetheringreatorsmall。Asamatteroffact，wefoundthatitneededmuchmorecouragetostandupopenlyagainstlabormenwhentheywerewrongthanagainstcapitalistswhentheywerewrong。Thesinsagainstlaborareusuallycommitted，andtheimproperservicestocapitalistsareusuallyrendered，behindcloseddoors。Veryoftenthemanwiththemoralcouragetospeakintheopenagainstlaborwhenitiswrongistheonlymananxioustodoeffectiveworkforlaborwhenlaborisright。
Theonlykindsofcourageandhonestywhicharepermanentlyusefultogoodinstitutionsanywherearethoseshownbymenwhodecideallcaseswithimpartialjusticeongroundsofconductandnotongroundsofclass。Wefoundthatinthelongrunthemenwhoinpublicblatantlyinsistedthatlaborwasneverwrongweretheverymenwhoinprivatecouldnotbetrustedtostandforlaborwhenitwasright。Wegrewheartilytodistrustthereformerwhoneverdenouncedwickednessunlessitwasembodiedinarichman。Humannaturedoesnotchange；
andthattypeof“reformer“isasnoxiousnowasheeverwas。Theloud-mouthedupholderofpopularrightswhoattackswickednessonlywhenitisalliedwithwealth，andwhoneverpubliclyassailsanymisdeed，nomatterhowflagrant，ifcommittednominallyintheinterestoflabor，haseitherawarpedmindorataintedsoul，andshouldbetrustedbynohonestman。Itwaslargelytheindignantandcontemptuousdislikearousedinourmindsbythedemagoguesofthisclasswhichthenpreventedthoseofuswhoseinstinctsatbottomweresoundfromgoingasfarasweoughttohavegonealongthelinesofgovernmentalcontrolofcorporationsandgovernmentalinterferenceonbehalfoflabor。
Idid，however，haveoneexceedinglyusefulexperience。AbillwasintroducedbytheCigar-Makers’Uniontoprohibitthemanufactureofcigarsintenement-houses。Iwasappointedoneofacommitteeofthreetoinvestigateconditionsinthetenement-housesandseeiflegislationshouldbehad。Ofmytwocolleaguesonthecommittee，onetooknointerestinthemeasureandprivatelysaidhedidnotthinkitwasright，butthathehadtovoteforitbecausethelaborunionswerestronginhisdistrictandhewaspledgedtosupportthebill。
Theother，asportingTammanymanwhoafterwardsabandonedpoliticsfortherace-track，wasaverygoodfellow。Hetoldmefranklythathehadtobeagainstthebillbecausecertaininterestswhichwereall-
powerfulandwithwhichhehaddealingsrequiredhimtobeagainstit，butthatIwasafreeagent，andthatifIwouldlookintothematterhebelievedIwouldfavorthelegislation。Asamatteroffact，IhadsupposedIwouldbeagainstthelegislation，andIratherthinkthatI
wasputonthecommitteewiththatidea，fortherespectablepeopleI
knewwereagainstit；itwascontrarytotheprinciplesofpoliticaleconomyofthe/laissez-faire/kind；andthebusinessmenwhospoketomeaboutitshooktheirheadsandsaidthatitwasdesignedtopreventamandoingashewishedandashehadarighttodowithwhatwashisown。
However，myfirstvisitstothetenement-housedistrictsinquestionmademefeelthat，whateverthetheoriesmightbe，asamatterofpracticalcommonsenseIcouldnotconscientiouslyvoteforthecontinuanceoftheconditionswhichIsaw。Theseconditionsrendereditimpossibleforthefamiliesofthetenement-houseworkerstolivesothatthechildrenmightgrowupfittedfortheexactingdutiesofAmericancitizenship。Ivisitedthetenement-housesoncewithmycolleaguesofthecommittee，oncewithsomeofthelaborunionrepresentatives，andonceortwicebymyself。Inafewofthetenement-housesthereweresuitesofroomsampleinnumberwheretheworkonthetobaccowasdoneinroomsnotoccupiedforcookingorsleepingorliving。Intheoverwhelmingmajorityofcases，however，therewereone，two，orthreeroomapartments，andtheworkofmanufacturingthetobaccobymen，women，andchildrenwentondayandnightintheeating，living，andsleepingrooms——sometimesinoneroom。Ihavealwaysrememberedoneroominwhichtwofamilieswereliving。OnmyinquiryastowhothethirdadultmalewasIwastoldthathewasaboarderwithoneofthefamilies。Therewereseveralchildren，threemen，andtwowomeninthisroom。Thetobaccowasstowedabouteverywhere，alongsidethefoulbedding，andinacornerwheretherewerescrapsoffood。Themen，women，andchildreninthisroomworkedbydayandfaronintotheevening，andtheysleptandatethere。TheywereBohemians，unabletospeakEnglish，exceptthatoneofthechildrenknewenoughtoactasinterpreter。
InsteadofopposingthebillIardentlychampionedit。Itwasapoorlydrawnmeasure，andtheGovernor，GroverCleveland，wasatfirstdoubtfulaboutsigningit。TheCigar-makers’UnionthenaskedmetoappearbeforetheGovernorandargueforit。Iaccordinglydidso，actingasspokesmanforthebattered，undersizedforeignerswhorepresentedtheUnionandtheworkers。TheGovernorsignedthebill。
Afterwardsthistenement-housecigarlegislationwasdeclaredinvalidbytheCourtofAppealsintheJacobsdecision。Jacobswasoneoftheraretenement-housemanufacturersofcigarswhooccupiedquiteasuiteofrooms，sothatinhiscasethelivingconditionswerealtogetherexceptional。WhatthereasonwaswhichinfluencedthosebringingthesuittoselecttheexceptionalinsteadoftheaverageworkerIdonotknow；ofcoursesuchactionwaspreciselytheactionwhichthosemostinterestedinhavingthelawbrokendownwereanxioustoseetaken。
TheCourtofAppealsdeclaredthelawunconstitutional，andintheirdecisionthejudgesreprobatedthelawasanassaultuponthe“hallowed“influencesof“home。”Itwasthiscasewhichfirstwakedmetoadimandpartialunderstandingofthefactthatthecourtswerenotnecessarilythebestjudgesofwhatshouldbedonetobettersocialandindustrialconditions。Thejudgeswhorenderedthisdecisionwerewell-meaningmen。Theyknewnothingwhateveroftenement-houseconditions；theyknewnothingwhateveroftheneeds，orofthelifeandlabor，ofthree-fourthsoftheirfellow-citizensingreatcities。Theyknewlegalism，butnotlife。Theirchoiceofthewords“hallowed“and“home。”asapplicabletotherevoltingconditionsattendingthemanufactureofcigarsintenement-houses，showedthattheyhadnoideawhatitwasthattheyweredeciding。Imaginethe“hallowed“associationsofa“home“consistingofoneroomwheretwofamilies，oneofthemwithaboarder，live，eat，andwork！Thisdecisioncompletelyblockedtenement-housereformlegislationinNewYorkforascoreofyears，andhampersittothisday。Itwasoneofthemostserioussetbackswhichthecauseofindustrialandsocialprogressandreformeverreceived。
Ihadbeenbroughtuptoholdthecourtsinespecialreverence。ThepeoplewithwhomIwasmostintimatewereapttopraisethecourtsforjustsuchdecisionsasthis，andtospeakofthemasbulwarksagainstdisorderandbarriersagainstdemagogiclegislation。Thesewerethesamepeoplewithwhomthejudgeswhorenderedthesedecisionswereapttoforegatheratsocialclubs，ordinners，orinprivatelife。Verynaturallytheyalltendedtolookatthingsfromthesamestandpoint。
OfcourseittookmorethanoneexperiencesuchasthisTenementCigarCasetoshakemeoutoftheattitudeinwhichIwasbroughtup。Butvariousdecisions，notonlyoftheNewYorkcourtbutofcertainotherStatecourtsandevenoftheUnitedStatesSupremeCourt，duringthequarterofacenturyfollowingthepassageofthistenement-houselegislation，didatlastthoroughlywakemetotheactualfact。IgrewtorealizethatallthatAbrahamLincolnhadsaidabouttheDredScottdecisioncouldbesaidwithequaltruthandjusticeaboutthenumerousdecisionswhichinourowndaywereerectedasbarsacrossthepathofsocialreform，andwhichbroughttonaughtsomuchoftheefforttosecurejusticeandfairdealingforworkingmenandworkingwomen，andforplaincitizensgenerally。
Someofthewickednessandinefficiencyinpubliclifewasthendisplayedinsimplerfashionthanwouldprobablynowbethecase。OnceortwiceIwasamemberofcommitteeswhichlookedintogrossandwidelyramifyinggovernmentalabuses。Onthewhole，themostimportantpartIplayedwasinthethirdLegislatureinwhichIserved，whenI
actedaschairmanofacommitteewhichinvestigatedvariousphasesofNewYorkCityofficiallife。