Final answer:
Industrialists during the Progressive Era were negatively perceived due to their exploitation of workers and hypocritical support of imperialism which contradicted American democratic values.
Step-by-step explanation:
Industrialists were viewed negatively because they often exploited workers by providing low wages and unsafe working conditions, reaping large profits while the laborers who powered their industries suffered. This sentiment was mirrored in political cartoons of the era, and was a core concern of the Progressive Movement, which aimed to create a more just society for industrial workers. Additionally, industrialists supported imperialist policies to secure new markets for their goods, ironically contradicting the principles of independence and democracy that the United States was founded upon. This economic motivation for imperialism was critiqued by those who felt it betrayed American values and did not respect the autonomy of other nations.