large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_09_belloc_64kb_26
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_09_belloc_64kb
English
7264
Even when gambling adventurers of this sort are known and responsible (as they are in professional politics) their power is a grave danger. Possessing as the newspaper owners do every power of concealment and, at the same time, no shred of responsibility to any organ of the State, they are a deadly peril. EVEN WHEN GAMBLING ADVENTURES OF THIS SORT ARE KNOWN AND RESPONSIBLE AS THEY ARE IN PROFESSIONAL POLITICS THEIR POWER IS A GRAVE DANGER POSSESSING AS THE NEWSPAPER OWNERS DO EVERY POWER OF CONCEALMENT AND AT THE SAME TIME NO SHRED OF RESPONSIBILITY TO ANY ORGAN OF THE STATE THEY ARE A DEADLY PERIL
them. But, as yet, they have not passed the stage of such suspicion. They have not advanced nearly as far as the discovery of the great newspaper owners and their system. They are still, for the most part, duped. This transitional state of affairs (for I hope to show that it is only transitional) is a very great evil. It warps and depletes public information. It prevents the just criticism of public servants. Above all, it gives immense and _irresponsible_ power to a handful of wealthy men--and especially to the one most wealthy and unscrupulous among them--whose wealth is an accident of speculation, whose origins are repulsive, and whose characters have, as a rule, the weakness and baseness developed by this sort of adventures. There are, among such gutter-snipes, thousands whose luck ends in the native gutter, half a dozen whose luck lands them into millions, one or two at most who, on the top of such a career go crazy with the ambition of the parvenu and propose to direct the State. WHO HAVE THE POWER TO INFORM THEM BUT AS YET THEY HAVE NOT PASSED THE STAGE OF SUCH SUSPICION THEY HAVE NOT ADVANCED NEARLY AS FAR AS THE DISCOVERY OF THE GREAT NEWSPAPER OWNERS AND THEIR SYSTEM THEY ARE STILL FOR THE MOST PART DUPED THIS TRANSITIONAL STATE OF AFFAIRS FOR I HOPE TO SHOW THAT IT IS ONLY TRANSITIONAL IS A VERY GREAT EVIL IT WARPS AND DEPLETES PUBLIC INFORMATION IT PREVENTS THE JUST CRITICISM OF PUBLIC SERVANTS ABOVE ALL IT GIVES IMMENSE AND IRRESPONSIBLE POWER TO A HANDFUL OF WEALTHY MEN AND ESPECIALLY TO THE ONE MOST WEALTHY AND UNSCRUPULOUS AMONG THEM WHOSE WEALTH IS AN ACCIDENT OF SPECULATION WHOSE ORIGINS ARE REPULSIVE AND WHOSE CHARACTERS HAVE AS A RULE THE WEAKNESS AND BASENESS DEVELOPED BY THIS SORT OF ADVENTURES THERE ARE AMONG SUCH GUTTER SNIPES THOUSANDS WHOSE LUCK ENDS IN THE NATIVE GUTTER HALF A DOZEN WHOSE LUCK LANDS THEM INTO MILLIONS ONE OR TWO AT MOST WHO ON THE TOP OF SUCH A CAREER GO CRAZY WITH THE AMBITION OF THE PARVENU AND PROPOSE TO DIRECT THE STATE
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