large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_11_belloc_64kb_58
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_11_belloc_64kb
English
7264
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. 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
ief newspapers could be heard boasting of their power in public, as an admitted thing; and as this power was recognized, and as it grew with time and experiment, it bred a reaction. Why should this or that vulgarian (men began to say) exercise (and boast of!) the power to keep the people ignorant upon matters vital to us all? To distort, to lie? The sheer necessity of getting certain truths told, which these powerful but hidden fellows refused to tell, was a force working at high potential and almost compelling the production of Free Papers side by side with the big Official ones. That is why you nearly always find the Free Press directed by men of intelligence and cultivation--of exceptional intelligence and cultivation. And that is where it contrasts most with its opponents. C But only a little later than this second motive of indignation against falsehood and acting with equal force (though upon fewer men) was the third motive of _freedom_: of indignation against _arbitrary Power_.  ED ITSELF MEN OWNING THE CHIEF NEWSPAPERS COULD BE HEARD BOASTING OF THEIR POWER IN PUBLIC AS AN ADMITTED THING AND AS THIS POWER WAS RECOGNIZED AND AS IT GREW WITH TIME AND EXPERIMENT IT BRED A REACTION WHY SHOULD THIS OR THAT VULGARIAN MEN BEGAN TO SAY EXERCISE AND BOAST OF THE POWER TO KEEP THE PEOPLE IGNORANT UPON MATTERS VITAL TO US ALL TO DISTORT TO LIE THE SHEER NECESSITY OF GETTING CERTAIN TRUTHS TOLD WHICH THESE POWERFUL BUT HIDDEN FELLOWS REFUSED TO TELL WAS A FORCE WORKING AT HIGH POTENTIAL AND ALMOST COMPELLING THE PRODUCTION OF FREE PAPERS SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE BIG OFFICIAL ONES THAT IS WHY YOU NEARLY ALWAYS FIND THE FREE PRESS DIRECTED BY MEN OF INTELLIGENCE AND CULTIVATION OF EXCEPTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND CULTIVATION AND THAT IS WHERE IT CONTRASTS MOST WITH ITS OPPONENTS C BUT ONLY A LITTLE LATER THAN THIS SECOND MOTIVE OF INDIGNATION AGAINST FALSEHOOD AND ACTING WITH EQUAL FORCE THOUGH UPON FEWER MEN WAS THE THIRD MOTIVE OF FREEDOM OF INDIGNATION AGAINST ARBITRARY POWER 
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