large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_09_belloc_64kb_24
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_09_belloc_64kb
English
7264
There are, among such gutter snipes, thousands whose luck ends in the native gutter, half a dozen whose luck lands them into millions, one or two at most who, on the top of such a career go crazy with the ambition of the parvenu and propose to direct the State. THERE ARE AMONG SUCH GUTTER SNIPES THOUSANDS WHOSE LUCK ENDS IN THE NATIVE GUTTER HALF A DOZEN WHOSE LUCK LANDS THEM INTO MILLIONS ONE OR TWO AT MOST WHO ON THE TOP OF SUCH A CAREER GO CRAZY WITH THE AMBITION OF THE PARVENU AND PROPOSE TO DIRECT THE STATE
bservation over public servants has slipped from them. They suspect that the known gross corruption of Public life, and particularly of the House of Commons, is entrenched behind a conspiracy of silence on the part of those very few who have the power to inform them. But, as yet, they have not passed the stage of such suspicion. They have not advanced nearly as far as the discovery of the great newspaper owners and their system. They are still, for the most part, duped. This transitional state of affairs (for I hope to show that it is only transitional) is a very great evil. It warps and depletes public information. It prevents the just criticism of public servants. Above all, it gives immense and _irresponsible_ power to a handful of wealthy men--and especially to the one most wealthy and unscrupulous among them--whose wealth is an accident of speculation, whose origins are repulsive, and whose characters have, as a rule, the weakness and baseness developed by this sort of adventures.  THAT THEIR OLD POWER OF OBSERVATION OVER PUBLIC SERVANTS HAS SLIPPED FROM THEM THEY SUSPECT THAT THE KNOWN GROSS CORRUPTION OF PUBLIC LIFE AND PARTICULARLY OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IS ENTRENCHED BEHIND A CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE ON THE PART OF THOSE VERY FEW WHO HAVE THE POWER TO INFORM THEM BUT AS YET THEY HAVE NOT PASSED THE STAGE OF SUCH SUSPICION THEY HAVE NOT ADVANCED NEARLY AS FAR AS THE DISCOVERY OF THE GREAT NEWSPAPER OWNERS AND THEIR SYSTEM THEY ARE STILL FOR THE MOST PART DUPED THIS TRANSITIONAL STATE OF AFFAIRS FOR I HOPE TO SHOW THAT IT IS ONLY TRANSITIONAL IS A VERY GREAT EVIL IT WARPS AND DEPLETES PUBLIC INFORMATION IT PREVENTS THE JUST CRITICISM OF PUBLIC SERVANTS ABOVE ALL IT GIVES IMMENSE AND IRRESPONSIBLE POWER TO A HANDFUL OF WEALTHY MEN AND ESPECIALLY TO THE ONE MOST WEALTHY AND UNSCRUPULOUS AMONG THEM WHOSE WEALTH IS AN ACCIDENT OF SPECULATION WHOSE ORIGINS ARE REPULSIVE AND WHOSE CHARACTERS HAVE AS A RULE THE WEAKNESS AND BASENESS DEVELOPED BY THIS SORT OF ADVENTURES
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