`Does the fact that you never "trouble your heads about politics"
prevent you from voting at election times?'

No one answered, and there ensued a brief silence. Easton however, in
spite of the snub he had received, could not refrain from talking.

`Well, I don't go in for politics much, either, but if what's in this
'ere paper is true, it seems to me as we oughter take some interest in
it, when the country is being ruined by foreigners.'

`If you're going to believe all that's in that bloody rag you'll want
some salt,' said Harlow.

The Obscurer was a Tory paper and Harlow was a member of the local
Liberal club. Harlow's remark roused Crass.

`Wot's the use of talkin' like that?' he said; `you know very well
that the country IS being ruined by foreigners. Just go to a shop to
buy something; look round the place an' you'll see that more than 'arf
the damn stuff comes from abroad. They're able to sell their goods
'ere because they don't 'ave to pay no dooty, but they takes care to
put 'eavy dooties on our goods to keep 'em out of their countries; and
I say it's about time it was stopped.'

`'Ear, 'ear,' said Linden, who always agreed with Crass, because the
latter, being in charge of the job, had it in his power to put in a
good - or a bad - word for a man to the boss. `'Ear, 'ear! Now
that's wot I call common sense.'

Several other men, for the same reason as Linden, echoed Crass's