stry, the navy, labor, have for their end, the general good, the
public good. To create a useless industry, in order to favor
superfluous transportation; to feed superfluous labor, not for the
good of the public, but for the expense of the public--this is to
realize a veritable begging the question. Work, in itself, is not a
desirable thing; its result is; all work without result is a loss. To
pay sailors for carrying useless waste matter across the sea is like
paying them for skipping stones across the surface of the water. So we
arrive at this result: that all economical sophisms, despite their
infinite variety, have this in common, that they confound the means
with the end, and develop one at the expense of the other.

CHAPTER XXII.

METAPHORS.

Sometimes a sophism dilates itself, and penetrates through the whole
extent of a long and heavy theory. More frequently it is compressed,
contracted, becomes a principle, and is completely covered by a word.
A good man once said: "God protect us from the devil and from
metaphors!" In truth, it would be difficult to say which of the two
creates the more evil upon our planet. It is the demon, say you; he
alone, so long as we live, puts the spirit of spoliation in our
hearts. Yes; but he does not prevent the repression of abuses by the
resistance of those who suffer from them. _Sophistry_ paralyzes this
resistance. The sword which malice puts in the assailant's hand would
be powerless, if sophistry did not break the shield upon the arm of
the assailed; and it is with good reason that Malebranche has
inscribed at the opening of his book, "Error is the cause of human
misery."

See how it comes to pass. Ambitious hypocrites will have some sinister
purpose; for example, sowing national hatred in the public mind. This
fatal germ may develop, lead to general conflagration, arrest
civilization, pour out torrents of blood, draw upon the land the most
terrible of scourges--_invasion_. In every case of indulgence in such
sentiments of hatred they lower us in the opinion of nations, and
compel those Americans, who have retained some love of justice, to
blush for their country. Certainly these are great evils; and in order
that the public should protect itself from the guidance of those who
would lead it into such risks, it is only necessary to give it a clear
view of them. How do they succeed in veiling it from them? It is by
_metaphor_. They alter, they force, they deprave th