ot found to be the
fundamental characteristic of the boy's intellectual nature. But the
teacher must not, of course, rest satisfied until he is certain that
the goal in very truth has been reached; until he is sure that his
pupil has thrown off the weight of carelessness, thoughtlessness, and
prejudice, and that his mind is really awake and is in actual contact
with ideas.

Finally, just as the leader and administrator will not desire to misuse
his powers, so the education of the rest of the nation will deprive him
of his opportunity. For it is only among a people politically
uneducated that corruption and intrigue on a grand scale can exist.
The unscrupulous creation and manipulation of public opinion; the
concealment of low and mean designs under an appearance of nobility and
disinterestedness; the putting forward of one argument in support of a
policy, while a thousand are kept back which weaken or invalidate it;
the appeal to prejudice and blind passion; the cunning use of
suggestion; worst of all that pitiable game which consists of turning
the people's noblest instincts--instincts of fellowship, solidarity,
romance--to the basest ends; marks of degradation such as these would
vanish gradually but surely as knowledge and power of criticism spread
to every section of the community. Such evil motives as still existed
would be seen through and exposed; events would be regarded, not as
isolated occurrences, but as a part of history, to be viewed in their
relation to the whole and to be judged in accordance with a definite
philosophy of life. So that if, here and there, a "politician"
survived or made his reappearance in the clearer atmosphere, he would
find his playthings gone; waiting instead for him would be men,
citizens, politicians--ready to sweep him aside and gaily choose a
better man.

CHAPTER VII

PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND FREAK SCHOOLS

The Radical--and by the Radical we mean any one who sees that life for
the majority at the present time is not as fine and happy as it should
be, and who is determined to leave no stone unturned to make it
so--commonly looks askance at the public schools. He thinks of them,
rightly, as the stronghold of those in possession, the class which, as
a whole, not only opposes such fundamental reforms as would result in a
fairer distribution of wealth, but also itself has failed to do what
might conceivably justify its favoured position, to keep alive, by
virtue of special o