large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_07_belloc_64kb_3
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_07_belloc_64kb
English
7264
Even to day, if a large paper went right against the national will in the matter of the present war it would be ruined, and papers which supported in 1914 the Cabinet intrigue to abandon our Allies at the beginning of the war have long since been compelled to eat their words. EVEN TODAY IF A LARGE PAPER WENT RIGHT AGAINST THE NATIONAL WILL IN THE MATTER OF THE PRESENT WAR IT WOULD BE RUINED AND PAPERS WHICH SUPPORTED IN NINETEEN FOURTEEN THE CABINET INTRIGUE TO ABANDON OUR ALLIES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR HAVE LONG SINCE BEEN COMPELLED TO EAT THEIR WORDS
ed. The little flash in the pan of Chinese Labour was, I think, even more remarkable. The Press not only had word from the twin Party Machines (with which it was then allied for the purposes of power) to boycott the Chinese Labour agitation rigidly, but it was manifestly to the interest of all the Capitalist Newspaper Proprietors to boycott it, and boycott it they did--as long as they could. But it was too much for them. They were swept off their feet. There were great meetings in the North-country which almost approached the dignity of popular action, and the Press at last not only took up the question for discussion, but apparently permitted itself a certain timid support. My point is, then, that the idea of the Press as "an organ of public opinion," that is, "an expression of the general thought and will," is not _only_ hypocritical, though it is _mainly_ so. There is still something in the claim. A generation ago there was more, and a couple of generations ago there was more still. IT WAS NOT BOYCOTTED IT WAS ACTIVELY DISCUSSED THE LITTLE FLASH IN THE PAN OF CHINESE LABOR WAS I THINK EVEN MORE REMARKABLE THE PRESS NOT ONLY HAD WORD FROM THE TWIN PARTY MACHINES WITH WHICH IT WAS THEN ALLIED FOR THE PURPOSE OF POWER TO BOYCOT CHINESE LABOR AGITATION RIGIDLY BUT IT WAS MANIFESTLY TO THE INTEREST OF ALL THE CAPITALIST NEWSPAPER PROPRIETORS TO BOYCOTT AND BOYCOTT IT THEY DID AS LONG AS THEY COULD BUT IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR THEM THEY WERE SWEPT OFF THEIR FEET THERE WAS A GREAT MEETING IN THE NORTH COUNTRY WHICH ALMOST APPROACHED THE DIGNITY OF POPULAR ACTION AND THE PRESS AT LAST NOT ONLY TOOK UP THE QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION BUT APPARENTLY PERMITTED ITSELF A CERTAIN TIMID SUPPORT MY POINT IS THEN THAT THE IDEA OF THE PRESS AS AN ORGAN OF PUBLIC OPINION THAT IS AN EXPRESSION OF THE GENERAL THOUGHT AND WILL IS NOT ONLY HYPOCRITICAL THOUGH IT IS MAINLY SO THERE IS STILL SOMETHING IN THE CLAIM A GENERATION AGO THERE WAS MORE AND A COUPLE OF GENERATIONS AGO THERE WAS MORE STILL
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