large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_17_belloc_64kb_8
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_17_belloc_64kb
English
7264
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. 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
it live. These statements of truth, even when they are quite unimportant, more, of course, when they illuminate matters of great civic moment, have a cumulative effect. I am confident, for instance, that at the present time the mass of middle-class people are not only acquainted with, but convinced of, the truth, that, long before the war, the House of Commons had become a fraud; that its debates did not turn upon matters which really divided opinion, and that even its paltry debating 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. TATEMENT AND MADE IT LIVE THESE STATEMENTS OF TRUTH EVEN WHEN THEY ARE QUITE UNIMPORTANT MORE OF COURSE WHEN THEY ILLUMINATE MATTERS OF GREAT CIVIC MOMENT HAVE ACCUMULATIVE EFFECT I AM CONFIDENT FOR INSTANCE THAT AT THE PRESENT TIME THE MASS OF MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE ARE NOT ONLY ACQUAINTED WITH BUT CONVINCED OF THE TRUTH THAT LONG BEFORE THE WAR THE HOUSE OF COMMONS HAD BECOME A FRAUD THAT ITS DEBATES DID NOT TURN UPON MATTERS WHICH REALLY DIVIDED OPINION AND AT EVEN ITS PALTRY DEBATING 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
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