large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_17_belloc_64kb_23
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_17_belloc_64kb
English
7264
If there were a general conspiracy to pretend that people with incomes above the income tax level never cheated one in a bargain, one could not say "on such and such a day you will be cheated in a bargain by such and such a person, whose income will be above the income tax level," but one could say; "Note the people who swindle you in the next five years, and I will prophesy that some of the number will be people paying income tax." This power of prophecy, which is an adjunct of truth telling, I have noticed to affect people very profoundly. IF THERE WERE A GENERAL CONSPIRACY TO PRETEND THAT PEOPLE WITH INCOMES ABOVE THE INCOME TAX LEVEL NEVER CHEATED ONE IN A BARGAIN ONE COULD NOT SAY ON SUCH AND SUCH A DAY YOU WILL BE CHEATED IN A BARGAIN BY SUCH AND SUCH A PERSON WHOSE INCOME WILL BE ABOVE THE INCOME TAX LEVEL BUT ONE COULD SAY NOTE THE PEOPLE WHO SWINDLE YOU IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND I WILL PROPHESY THAT SOME OF THE NUMBER WILL BE PEOPLE PAYING INCOME TAX THIS POWER OF PROPHECY WHICH IS AN ADJUNCT OF TELLING THE TRUTH I HAVE NOTICED TO AFFECT PEOPLE VERY PROFOUNDLY
 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. 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. LECTION 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 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
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