Or
is it sheer corruption?"
"Two stages of the same process, aren't they?" suggested Banneker.
"Encouraging to think so. Yet labor in a fertilizing plant, though
perhaps essential, is hardly conducive to higher thinking. You like it?"
"I don't accept your definition at all," replied Banneker. "The
newspapers are only a medium. If there is a stench, they do not
originate it. They simply report the events of the day."
"Exactly. They simply disseminate it."
Banneker was annoyed at himself for flushing. "They disseminate news.
We've got to have news, to carry on the world. Only a small fraction of
it is--well, malodorous. Would you destroy the whole system because of
one flaw? You're not fair."
"Fair? Of course I'm not. How should I be? No; I would not destroy the
system. Merely deodorize it a bit. But I suppose the public likes the
odors. It sniffs 'em up like--like Cyrano in the bake-shop. A marvelous
institution, the public which you and I serve. Have you ever thought of
magazine work, Mr. Banneker?"
"A little."
"There might be a considerable future there for you. I say 'might.'
Nothing is more uncertain. But you have certain--er--stigmata of the
writer--That article, now, about the funereal eulogies over the old
builder; did you report that talk as it was?"
"Approximately.
Pages:
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393