large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_17_belloc_64kb_1
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_17_belloc_64kb
English
7264
If there were a general conspiracy to maintain the falsehood that all peers were over six foot high, a man desiring to correct this falsehood would be perfectly safe if he were to say: "I do not know whether the _next_ peer you meet will be over six foot or not, but I am pretty safe in prophesying that you will find, among the next dozen three or four peers less than six foot high." IF THERE WERE A GENERAL CONSPIRACY TO MAINTAIN THE FALSEHOOD THAT ALL PEERS WERE OVER SIX FOOT HIGH A MAN DESIRING TO CORRECT THIS FALSEHOOD WOULD BE PERFECTLY SAFE IF HE WERE TO SAY I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THE NEXT PEER YOU MEET WILL BE OVER SIX FOOT OR NOT BUT I AM PRETTY SAFE IN PROPHESYING THAT YOU WILL FIND AMONG THE NEXT DOZEN THREE OR FOUR PEERS LESS THAN SIX FOOT HIGH
points, the pretence of a true opposition was a falsehood. This salutary truth had been arrived at, of course, by many other channels. The scandalous arrangement between the Front Benches which forced the Insurance Act down our throats was an eye-opener for the great masses of the people. So was the cynical action of the politicians in the matter of Chinese Labour after the Election of 1906. So was the puerile stage play indulged in over things like the Welsh Disestablishment Bill and the Education Bills. But among the forces which opened people's eyes about the House of Commons, the Free Press played a very great part, though it was never mentioned in the big Official papers, and though not one man in many hundreds of the public ever heard of it. The few who read it were startled into acceptance by the exact correspondence between its statement and observed fact. The man who tells the truth when his colleagues around him are lying, always enjoys a certain restricted power of prophecy. BATING POINTS THE PRETENSE OF A TRUE OPPOSITION WAS A FALSEHOOD THE SALUTARY TRUTH HAD BEEN ARRIVED AT OF COURSE BY MANY OTHER CHANNELS THE SCANDALOUS ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE FRONT BENCHES WHICH FORCED THE INSURANCE ACT DOWN OUR THROATS WAS AN EYE OPENER FOR THE GREAT MASSES OF THE PEOPLE SO WAS THE CYNICAL ACTION OF THE POLITICIANS IN THE MATTER OF CHINESE LABOR AFTER THE ELECTION OF NINETEEN O SIX SO WAS THE PUERILE STAGE PLAY INDULGED IN OVER THINGS LIKE THE WELSH DISESTABLISHMENT BILL AND THE EDUCATION BILLS BUT AMONG THE FORCES WHICH OPENED PEOPLE'S EYES ABOUT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS THE FREE PRESS PLAYED A VERY GREAT PART THOUGH IT WAS NEVER MENTIONED IN THE BIG OFFICIAL PAPERS AND THOUGH NOT ONE MAN IN MANY HUNDREDS OF THE PUBLIC EVER HEARD OF IT THE FEW WHO READ IT WERE STARTLED INTO ACCEPTANCE BY THE EXACT CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN ITS STATEMENT AND OBSERVED FACT THE MAN WHO TELLS THE TRUTH WHEN HIS COLLEAGUES AROUND HIM ARE LYING ALWAYS ENJOYS A CERTAIN RESTRICTED POWER OF PROPHECY
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