Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 76.djvu/385

Rh

And it seems to me an awful thing that they don't want to contribute to the war-taxes, when necessary—and that's a thing everybody is going to know about—and plead poverty; but where there was a death-penalty and it was to their interests to keep things "dark," this they say they did in defiance of the law out of love for you. And you all know that such talk as that does not become them at all; for their interests and those of other people are radically different. For they make their biggest profits when they sell corn higher to the State on some report of evil. And so glad are they to see your mishaps that they know about them before other people and make up stories and circulate them themselves, saying that the ships in the Black Sea have been wrecked or those which have put to sea have been captured by the Spartans, or the ports have been blockaded, or the truces are about to be annulled; and have come to such a pitch of hostility that they plot against us at the same critical period that the enemy does. For when you especially need grain these fellows "snap it up "and refuse to sell so that we may not haggle over the price but may think ourselves lucky if we get off with buying from them at any price whatever; so that sometimes, even in time of peace, we are besieged by them. . . . Frequently, before now, you have inflicted the most severe penalties on the officials—and that too, though they were citizens—because they could not control the rascality of these men. What, pray, ought the malefactors themselves to suffer at your hands when you killed those who were unable to guard them?

Calling upon the jurymen to regard this as a "test case"—as the people surely will—to chastise the guilty and protect their victims, with an appeal to justice and an argument to catch the crowd, our senator closes this speech of such vital interest to the people of constitution-loving and law-enforcing Athens.

You ought to consider that it's impossible for you to vote acquittal; for if you acquit men who confess they "combined" against the merchants, you'll seem to be plotting against the importers yourselves. But if they had made any other defence no one could have found fault with a jury who acquitted them; for "it's up to you" to believe whichever party you wish. But now, won't you seem to be doing something awful if you let men go scot-free who confess they violated the law?

Now, gentlemen of the jury, I think it's clear to everybody that law-suits on such matters are of the most general interest to the citizens, so that they will learn what opinion you hold about them, thinking that if you condemn these fellows to death, the rest will be more orderly and law-abiding, but should you let them go scot-free, you will be voting them full immunity to do whatever they please. You ought, gentlemen of the jury, to chastise them, not only for the past but as a warning for the future; for in that case even, they will be barely endurable. . . . And should they beg and implore you, you would not justly take pity on them but far more on those of the citizens who are dying through their rascality, and on the importers against whom they have "combined," whom you will please and make more zealous if you punish these fellows. But if you do not, what opinion do you think they will have when they learn that you acquitted the hucksters, who admitted they conspired against the importers?

I don't know what more I ought to say; for about other malefactors, when they are on trial, you must get your information from the accusers, but all of you know the rascality of these fellows. At any rate, if you convict these men you will "do the square thing" and you'll buy your corn lower; but if you don't, it will be higher.