large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_02_belloc_64kb_5
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_02_belloc_64kb
English
7264
It, therefore, presents us, even at its best when the testimony is not tainted, no more than one crude affirmation. IT THEREFORE PRESENTS US EVEN AT ITS BEST WHEN THE TESTIMONY IS NOT TAINTED NO MORE THAN ONE CRUDE AFFIRMATION
e many miles away, but which affects property of our own, we listen to the accounts of dozens of men. We rapidly and instinctively differentiate between these accounts according to the characters of the witnesses. Equally instinctively, we counter-test these accounts by the inherent probabilities of the situation. An honest and sober man tells us that the roof of the house fell in. An imaginative fool, who is also a swindler, assures us that he later saw the roof standing. We remember that the roof was of iron girders covered with wood, and draw this conclusion: That the framework still stands, but that the healing fell through in a mass of blazing rubbish. Our common sense and our knowledge of the situation incline us rather to the bad than to the good witness, and we are right. But the Press cannot of its nature give a great number of separate testimonies. These would take too long to collect, and would be too expensive to collect. Still less is it able to deliver the weight of each. WHICH HAS TAKEN PLACE MANY MILES AWAY BUT WHICH AFFECTS PROPERTY OF OUR OWN WE LISTEN TO THE ACCOUNTS OF DOZENS OF MEN WE RAPIDLY AND INSTINCTIVELY DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THESE ACCOUNTS ACCORDING TO THE CHARACTERS OF THE WITNESSES EQUALLY INSTINCTIVELY WE COUNTER TEST THESE ACCOUNTS BY THE INHERENT PROBABILITIES OF THE SITUATION AN HONEST AND SOBER MAN TELLS US THAT THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE FELL IN AN IMAGINATIVE FOOL WHO IS ALSO A SWINDLER ASSURES US THAT HE LATER SAW THE ROOF STANDING WE REMEMBER THAT THE ROOF WAS OF IRON GIRDERS COVERED WITH WOOD AND DRAW THIS CONCLUSION THAT THE FRAMEWORK STILL STANDS BUT THAT THE HEALING FELL THROUGH IN A MASS OF BLAZING RUBBISH OUR COMMON SENSE AND OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE SITUATION INCLINE US RATHER TO THE BAD THAN TO THE GOOD WITNESS AND WE ARE RIGHT BUT THE PRESS CANNOT OF ITS NATURE GIVE A GREAT NUMBER OF SEPARATE TESTIMONIES THESE WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO COLLECT AND WOULD BE TOO EXPENSIVE TO COLLECT STILL LESS IT IS ABLE TO DELIVER THE WEIGHT OF EACH
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