“No, the most important clew was the label you used. But say, Smiley, here is what puzzles me. Why is it that you, a man of unusual ability, haven't put in your time at something respectable? The brains and work you have wasted on smuggling would have made you a comfortable fortune in some other line.” “What do you mean by 'respectable,' Beveridge,--politics, trading, preaching?” “I guess you recognize the distinction.” “On the contrary, I don't recognize it at all. I asked for information.” “Oh, well, there is no use opening up that question. We all know the difference between right and wrong, honesty and dishonesty.” “Do we? Do you?” “I have always supposed I did.” “You're an unusual man. I congratulate you.” “See here, Smiley, this is interesting. You don't mean to say that you consider smuggling an honorable business?” “Why not?” “Why not! Why--why--” “It might clear your ideas, Beveridge, to go into this question a little. Smuggling means, I suppose, the bringing of merchandise from, say, Canada to this country.” “Dutiable merchandise, yes.” “What makes it dutiable?” “The law.” “What makes the law?” “The law is made by the people.” “What people?” “Oh, see here, Smiley, this--” “No, wait a minute. The trouble with you is you don't do your own thinking; I 'll do a little for you. Take an imaginary case: There is a little group of men in this country who manufacture, say, tacks. As every man should, they are looking out for their own interests. They are out to make money. The tacks mean nothing to them, except as they can be turned into money. That is right and proper, isn't it?” “Certainly.” “Now suppose, among them all, they employ a good many thousand men in their tack factories, all of them voters. Suppose they're rich, and ready to contribute a neat little sum to the campaign fund. Now then, if any other group of men start up, just over the Canadian line, where labor is cheaper, making tacks, and underselling our tack market, the natural thing for our tack men to do is to go to their representatives in Congress and say, 'Here, if you want our votes and our money, you must pass a law putting a duty on tacks.' Why do they say this? Because with such a law they can make more money. The people aren't helped by it, mind you; the people have to pay all the more. The only men to profit by it are the little group of tack manufacturers who want to get rich and fat at the expense of this public you talk about. Now do the Congressmen fall into line and pass the law? Certainly. Why? Because _they_ are helped by it. They get the votes and the money contributions--and probably a neat bribe besides. All this while, mind you, the people are out of the game. They are being robbed by a law that was made entirely to enrich a little group of men. These bribe givers and takers put up a job on us, the most dishonest kind of a job, and yet you seem to think I'm dishonest, too, because I follow their example and look out for number one.”