ither, Plimpton. [Enters with PLIMPTON and RUTHERFORD; sees
HAGEN.] Oh... I beg your pardon.

HAGEN. I am waiting for your son, Sir.

IS. I see. Won't you be seated?

HAGEN. I thank you. [Sits at ease in chair.]

PLIM. My point is, it's as Lord Alderdyce says... we have no hereditary
aristocracy in this country, no traditions of authority.. . nothing to
hold the mob in check.

IS. There is the constitution.

PLIM. They may over-ride it.

IS. There are the courts.

PLIM. They may defy the courts.

RUTH. Oh, Plimpton, that's absurd!

PLIM. Nothing of the kind, Rutherford! Suppose they were to elect
to office some wild and reckless demagog... take, for instance, that
ruffian you were telling us about... down there on the Bowery... [HAGEN
starts, and listens] and he were to defy the law and the courts? He is
preaching just that to the mob... striving to rouse the elemental wild
beast in them! And some day they will pour out into this avenue...

RUTH. [Vehemently.] Very well, Plimpton! Let them come! Have we not the
militia and the regulars? We could sweep the avenue with one machine
gun...

PLIM. But suppose the troops would not fire?

RUTH. But that is impossible!

PLIM. Nothing of the kind, Rutherford! No, no... we must go back of all
that! It is in the hearts of the people that we must erect our defenses.
It is the spirit of this godless and skeptical age that is undermining
order. We must teach the people the truths of religion. We must
inculcate lessons of sobriety and thrift, of reverence for constituted
authority. We must set our faces against these new preachers of license
and infidelity... we must go back to the old-time faith... to love, and
charity, and self-sacrifice...

HAGEN. [Interrupting.] That's it! You've got it there!

IS. [Amazed.] Why...

PLIM. Sir?

HAGEN. You've said it! Set the parsons after them! Teach them heaven!
Set them to singing about harps and golden crowns, and milk and honey
flowing! Then you can shut them up in slums and starve them, and
they won't know the difference. Teach them non-resistance and
self-renunciation! You've got the phrases all pat... handed out from
heaven direct! Take no thought saying what ye shall eat! Lay not up for
yourselves treasures on earth! Render unto Caesar the things that are
Caesar's!

IS. Why... this is preposterous!

PLIM. This is blasphemy!

HAGEN. You're Plimpton... Plimpton, the coal baron, I take it. I know
you by your pict