"But the fact remains that sometimes there are cockfights during the
week," objected Padre Camorra, "and it wouldn't be right when the
contractors of the cockpits pay the government--" [23]

"Well, on those days close the school!"

"Man, man!" exclaimed the scandalized Captain-General. "Such an outrage
shall never be perpetrated while I govern! To close the schools in
order to gamble! Man, man, I'll resign first!" His Excellency was
really horrified.

"But, General, it's better to close them for a few days than for
months."

"It would be immoral," observed Padre Irene, more indignant even than
his Excellency.

"It's more immoral that vice has good buildings and learning
none. Let's be practical, gentlemen, and not be carried away by
sentiment. In politics there's nothing worse than sentiment. While
from humane considerations we forbid the cultivation of opium in our
colonies, we tolerate the smoking of it, and the result is that we
do not combat the vice but impoverish ourselves."

"But remember that it yields to the government, without any effort,
more than four hundred and fifty thousand pesos," objected Padre Irene,
who was getting more and more on the governmental side.

"Enough, enough, enough!" exclaimed his Excellency, to end the
discussion. "I have my own plans in this regard and will devote special