ake a step in that direction, for I know very well
that, if it is true that these religious corporations have their
defects, they are now necessities. They are what you might call a
necessary evil."

Elias raised his head and looked astonished.

"Do you believe, senor, in necessary evils?" he asked, his voice
slightly trembling. "Do you believe that in order to do good it is
necessary to do evil?"

"No. I look upon it as a violent remedy which we have to make use of
to cure an illness. To illustrate further, the country is an organism
which is suffering from a chronic illness, and, in order to cure it,
the Government finds itself compelled to use medicines, hard and
violent, if you wish, but useful and necessary."

"He is a bad doctor, senor, who seeks to cure the symptoms and suppress
them without trying to find the origin of the illness, or knowing it,
fears to attack it. The Guardia Civil has no other end than this:
the suppression of crime by terror and force. This end it neither
fulfills nor carries out except in chance instances. And you have
to take into account that society can be severe with individuals
only after she has furnished all means necessary for their perfect
morality. In our country, since there is no society, since the
people and the Government do not form a unity, the latter ought to
be indulgent, not only because indulgence is necessary, but because
the individual, neglected and abandoned by Government, has less self
responsibility than if he had been enlightened. Besides, following out
your comparison, the medicine applied to the evils of the country is
so much of a destroyer that its effect is only felt on the sane parts
of the organism. These it weakens and injures. Would it not be more
reasonable to fortify and strengthen the infirm organism and minimize
a little the violence of the medicine?"

"To weaken the Guardia Civil would be to put the security of the
towns in danger."

"The security of the towns!" exclaimed Elias with bitterness. "The
towns have had the Guardia Civil for nearly fifteen years and
what is the result? We still have tulisanes, we still hear of them
sacking towns, and they still make their attacks on people on the
roads. Robberies continue and the robbers are not punished. Crime
exists and the real criminal goes free, but not so with the peaceful
inhabitants of the town. Ask any honorable citizen if he looks upon
this institution as a good, as a protection by the Go