and the
legislature was considering ways and means of their schooling. Neither
of them could read or write.

James read the article, and his first thought was to proffer his help.
Aid and enlightenment they needed, and they needed it quickly. And then
he stopped immediately because he could do nothing to educate them unless
they already possessed the ability to read.

His second thought was one of dismay. His exultation came down with a
dull thud. Within seconds he realized that the acquisition of a girl was
no evidence of his competent maturity. The couple photographed were human
beings, but intellectually they were no more than animals with a slight
edge in vocabulary. It made James Holden sick at heart to read the
article and to realize that such filth and ignorance could still go on.
But it took a shock of such violence to make James realize that clams,
guppies, worms, fleas, cats, dogs, and the great whales reproduced their
kind; intellect, education and mature competence under law had nothing to
do with the process whatsoever.

And while his heart was still unhappy, he turned to page four and read an
open editorial that discussed the chances of The Educational Party in the
coming Election Year.

* * * * *

James blinked.

"Splinter" parties, the editorial said, seldom succeeded in gaining a
primary objective. They only succeeded in drawing votes from the other
major parties, in splitting the total ballot, and dividing public
opinion. On the other hand, they did provide a useful political
weathervane for the major parties to watch most carefully. If the
splinter party succeeded in capturing a large vote, it was an indication
that the People found their program favorable and upon such evidence it
behooved the major parties to mend their political fences--or to relocate
them.

Education, said the editorial, was a primary issue and had been one
for years. There had been experimenting with education ever since
the Industrial Revolution uncovered the fact, in about 1900, that
backbreaking physical toil was going to be replaced by educated workers
operating machinery.

Then the editorial quoted Judge Norman L. Carter:

"'For many years,' said Judge Carter, 'we have deplored the situation
whereby a doctor or a physicist is not considered fully educated until he
has reached his middle or even late twenties. Yet instead of speeding up
the curriculum in the early school years, we ha