Thismeantthedevelopmentofanewculture,onetobefoundedontheAmericantraditionofequalityofopportunity.Butculturewasnotaweedthatgrewovernight;itwasaleaventhatspreadslowlyandpainfully,firstinoculatingafewwhosufferedandoftendiedforit,thatitmightgraduallyaffectthemany.Thespreadofcultureimpliedtherecognitionofleadership:democraticleadership,butstillleadership.Leadership,andthewisdomitimplied,didnotresideinthepeople,butintheleaderswhosprangfromthepeopleandinterpretedtheirneedsandlongingsHewentontodiscussapartoftheprogrammeoftheCitizensUnion
Whatstruckme,asIlaiddownthetypewrittensheets,wastheextraordinaryresemblancebetweenthephilosophiesofHermannKrebsandTheodoreWatling.Only——Krebs\'sphilosophywasthebigger,heldthegreatervisionofthetwo;Ihadreluctantlyandratherbitterlytoadmitit.Theappealofithadevenreachedandstirredme,whosetaskwastorefuteit!Hereindeedwassomethingtofightfor——perhapstodiefor,ashehadsaid:andasIsatthereinmyofficegazingoutofthewindowIfoundmyselfrepeatingcertainphraseshehadused——thephraseaboutleadership,forinstance.ItwasatremendousconceptionofDemocracy,thatofacquiescencetodevelopedleadershipmaderesponsible;aconceptionIwascompelledtoconfesstranscendedMr.Watling\'s,loyalasIwastohimIbegantoreflecthownovelallthiswasinapoliticalspeech——althoughwhatIhavequotedwasinthenatureofapreamble.Itwasasermon,aneducationalsermon.Well,thatiswhatsermonsalwayshadbeen,——andevennowpretendedtobe,——educationalandstirring,appealingtotheemotionsthroughtheintellect.Itdidn\'treadliketheSocialismheusedtopreach,ithadtheringofreligion.
Hehadcalleditreligion.
WithaneffortofthewillIturnedfromthisironicalanddangerousvisionofaHughParetwhomighthavebeenenlistedinaninspiringstruggle,ofamodernyetunregenerateSaulkickingagainstthepricks,condemnedtogoforthbreathingfireagainstadoctrinethatmadeatrueappeal;againstthemanIbelievedIhatedjustbecausehehadmadethisappeal.Intheactofsummoningmycounter-argumentsIwasinterruptedbytheentranceofGrierson.Hewascallingonamatterofbusiness,butbegantotalkabouttheextractsfromKrebs\'sspeechhehadreadintheMailandState.
\"Whatinhellisthisfellowdrivingat,Paret?\"hedemanded.\"Itsoundstomeliketherantingofalunaticdervish.Ifhethinkssomuchofus,andthewaywerunthetown,what\'shesquawkingabout?\"