large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_12_belloc_64kb_35
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_12_belloc_64kb
English
7264
Any instructed man to day who really wants to find out what is going on reads the Free Press; but he is compelled, as I have said, to read the whole of it and piece together the sections if he wishes to discover his true whereabouts. Each particular organ gives him an individual impression, which is ex centric, often highly ex centric, to the general impression. ANY INSTRUCTED MAN TO DAY WHO REALLY WANTS TO FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON READS THE FREE PRESS BUT HE IS COMPELLED AS I HAVE SAID TO READ THE WHOLE OF IT AND PIECE TOGETHER THE SECTIONS IF HE WISHES TO DISCOVER HIS TRUE WHEREABOUTS EACH PARTICULAR ORGAN GIVES HIM AN INDIVIDUAL IMPRESSION WHICH IS ECCENTRIC OFTEN HIGHLY ECCENTRIC TO THE GENERAL IMPRESSION
be facts, and even in a great measure to accept its opinion. A new voice criticizing by implication, or directly blaming or ridiculing a habit so formed, was necessarily an unpopular voice with the mass of readers, or, if it was not unpopular, that was only because it was negligible. This first disability, however, under which the Free Press suffered, and still suffers, would not naturally have been of long duration. The remaining three were far graver. For the mere inertia or counter current against which any reformer struggles is soon turned if the reformer (as was the case here) represented a real reaction, and was doing or saying things which the people, had they been as well informed as himself, would have agreed with. With the further disabilities of (2) particularism, (3) poverty, (4) insufficiency (to which I add, in this country, restraint by the political lawyers), it was otherwise. 2 The Particularism of the Free Papers was a grave and permanent weakness which still endures. E WHAT HAD TOLD THEM TO BE FACTS AND EVEN IN A GREAT MEASURE TO ACCEPT ITS OPINION A NEW VOICE CRITICISING BY IMPLICATION OR DIRECTLY BLAMING OR RIDICULING A HABIT SO FORMED WAS NECESSARILY AN UNPOPULAR VOICE WITH THE MASS OF READERS OR IF IT WAS NOT UNPOPULAR THAT WAS ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS NEGLIGIBLE THIS FIRST DISABILITY HOWEVER UNDER WHICH THE FREE PRESS SUFFERED AND STILL SUFFERS WOULD NOT NATURALLY HAVE BEEN OF LONG DURATION THE REMAINING THREE WERE FAR GRAVER FOR THE MERE INERTIA OR COUNTER CURRENT AGAINST WHICH ANY REFORMER STRUGGLES IS SOON TURNED IF THE REFORMER AS WAS THE CASE HERE REPRESENTED A REAL REACTION AND WAS DOING OR SAYING THINGS WHICH THE PEOPLE HAD THEY BEEN AS WELL INFORMED AS HIMSELF WOULD HAVE AGREED WITH WITH THE FURTHER DISABILITIES OF TWO PARTICULARISM THREE POVERTY FOUR INSUFFICIENCY TO WHICH I ADD IN THIS COUNTRY RESTRAINT BY THE POLITICAL LAWYERS IT WAS OTHERWISE TWO THE PARTICULARISM OF THE FREE PAPERS WAS A GRAVE AND PERMANENT WEAKNESS WHICH STILL ENDURES
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