large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_11_belloc_64kb_4
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_11_belloc_64kb
English
7264
The knowledge that this was so provided the third, and, perhaps, the most powerful motive for the creation of a Free Press. THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS WAS SO PROVIDED THE THIRD AND PERHAPS THE MOST POWERFUL MOTIVE FOR THE CREATION OF A FREE PRESS
dom_: of indignation against _arbitrary Power_. For men who knew the way in which we are governed, and who recognized, especially during the last twenty years, that the great newspaper was coming to be more powerful than the open and responsible (though corrupt) Executive of the country, the position was intolerable. 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 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. AS THE THIRD MOTIVE OF FREEDOM OF INDIGNATION AGAINST ARBITRARY POWER FOR MEN WHO KNEW THE WAY IN WHICH WE WERE GOVERNED AND WHO RECOGNIZED ESPECIALLY DURING THE LAST TWENTY YEARS THAT THE GREAT NEWSPAPER WAS COMING TO BE MORE POWERFUL THE OPEN AND RESPONSIBLE THOUGH CORRUPT EXECUTIVE OF THE COUNTRY THE POSITION WAS INTOLERABLE 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
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