"
"Aren't they too good if they can think themselves into something
better?"
Poultney Masters delivered himself of a historical profundity. "The man
who first had the notion of teaching the mass of people to read will
have something to answer for."
"Destructive, isn't it?" said Banneker, looking up quickly.
"Now, you want to go farther. You want to teach 'em to think."
"Exactly. Why not?"
"Why not? Why, because, you young idiot, they'll think wrong."
"Very likely. At first. We all had to spell wrong before we spelled
right. What if people do think wrong? It's the thinking that's
important. Eventually they'll think right."
"With the newspapers to guide them?" There was a world of scorn in the
magnate's voice.
"Some will guide wrong. Some will guide right. The most I hope to do is
to teach 'em a little to use their minds. Education and a fair field. To
find out and to make clear what is found; that's the business of a
newspaper as I see it."
"Tittle-tattle. Tale-mongering," was Masters's contemptuous
qualification.
"A royal mission," laughed Banneker. "I call the Sage to witness. 'But
the glory of kings is to search out a matter.'"
"But they've got to be kings," retorted the other quickly. "It's a
tricky business, Banneker.
Pages:
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522