large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_17_belloc_64kb_20
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_17_belloc_64kb
English
7264
A worthy provincial might have been shocked ten years ago to hear that places in the Upper House of Parliament were regularly bought and sold. He might have indignantly denied it The Free Press said: "In some short while you will have a glaring instance of a man who is incompetent and obscure but very rich, appearing as a legislator with permanent hereditary power, transferable to his son after his death. I don't know which the next one will be, but there is bound to be a case of the sort quite soon for the thing goes on continually. A WORTHY PROVINCIAL MIGHT HAVE BEEN SHOCKED TEN YEARS AGO TO HEAR THAT PLACES IN THE UPPER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT WERE REGULARLY BOUGHT AND SOLD HE MIGHT HAVE INDIGNANTLY DENIED IT THE FREE PRESS SAID IN SOME SHORT WHILE YOU WILL HAVE A GLARING INSTANCE OF A MAN WHO IS INCOMPETENT AND OBSCURE BUT VERY RICH APPEARING AS A LEGISLATOR WITH PARLIAMENT HEREDITARY POWER TRANSFERABLE TO HIS SON AFTER HIS DEATH I DON'T KNOW WHICH THE NEXT ONE WILL BE BUT THERE IS BOUND TO BE A CASE OF THE SORT QUITE SOON FOR THE THING GOES ON CONTINUALLY
m 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." 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. 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 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
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