large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_11_belloc_64kb_19
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_11_belloc_64kb
English
7264
They had a general conception that the owner of a widely circulated popular newspaper could, and did, blackmail the professional politician: make or unmake the professional politician by granting or refusing him the limelight; dispose of Cabinets; nominate absurd Ministers. THEY HAD A GENERAL CONCEPTION THAT THE OWNER OF A WIDELY CIRCULATED POPULAR NEWSPAPER COULD AND DID BLACKMAIL THE PROFESSIONAL POLITICIAN MAKE OR UNMAKE THE PROFESSIONAL POLITICIAN BY GRANTING OR REFUSING HIM THE LIMELIGHT DISPOSE OF CABINETS NOMINATE ABSURD MINISTERS
ad enough to be governed by an aristocracy or a monarch whose executive power is dependent upon legend in the mass of the people; it is humiliating enough to be thus governed through a sort of play-acting instead of enjoying the self-government of free men. It is worse far to be governed by a clique of Professional Politicians bamboozling the multitude with a pretence of "Democracy." But it is intolerable that similar power should reside in the hands of obscure nobodies about whom no illusion could possibly exist, whose tyranny is not admitted or public at all, who do not even take the risk of exposing their features, and to whom no responsibility whatever attaches. The knowledge that this was so provided the third, and, perhaps, the most powerful motive for the creation of a Free Press. Unfortunately, it could affect only very few men. With the mass even of well-educated and observant men the feeling created by the novel power of the great papers was little more than a vague ill ease. NTOLERABLE IT IS BAD ENOUGH TO BE GOVERNED BY AN ARISTOCRACY OR A MONARCH WHOSE EXECUTIVE POWER IS DEPENDENT UPON LEGEND IN THE MASS OF THE PEOPLE IT IS HUMILIATING ENOUGH TO BE THUS GOVERNED THROUGH A SORT OF PLAY ACTING INSTEAD OF ENJOYING THE SELF GOVERNMENT OF FREEMEN IT IS WORSE FAR TO BE GOVERNED BY A CLICK OF PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS BAMBOOZLING THE MULTITUDE WITH A PRETENSE OF DEMOCRACY BUT IT IS INTOLERABLE THAT SIMILAR POWER SHOULD RESIDE IN THE HANDS OF OBSCURE NOBODIES ABOUT WHOM NO ILLUSION COULD POSSIBLY EXIST WHOSE TYRANNY IS NOT ADMITTED OR PUBLIC AT ALL WHO DO NOT EVEN TAKE THE RISK OF EXPOSING THEIR FEATURES AND TO WHOM NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATEVER ATTACHES THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS WAS SO PROVIDED THE THIRD AND PERHAPS THE MOST POWERFUL MOTIVE FOR THE CREATION OF A FREE PRESS UNFORTUNATELY IT COULD AFFECT ONLY VERY FEW MEN WITH THE MASS EVEN OF WELL EDUCATED AND OBSERVANT MEN THE FEELING CREATED BY THE NOVEL POWER OF THE GREAT PAPERS WAS LITTLE MORE THAN A VAGUE ILL EASE
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_11_belloc_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_11_belloc_64kb.flac