'
'Well, sir,--of course I have thought about it.'
'And can you do as I would have you?'
'You see, sir, a man's political opinion is a kind of thing he
can't get rid of.'
'You can hardly as yet have any confirmed political opinion. You
are still young, and I do not suppose that you have thought much
about politics.'
'Well, sir; I think I have. I've got my own ideas. We've got to
protect our position as well as we can against the Radicals and
Communists.'
'I cannot admit that at all, Silverbridge. There is no great
political party in this county anxious either for communism or for
revolution. But, putting all that aside for the present, do you
think that a man's political opinions should be held in regard to
his own individual interests, or to the much wider interests of
others, whom we call the public?'
'To his own interest,' said the young man with decision.
'It is simply self-protection then?'
'His own and his class. The people will look after themselves, and
we must look after ourselves. We are so few and they are so many,
that we shall have quite enough to do.
Pages:
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110