tting a most unnatural constraint upon
conscience."

Gerlach's language aroused the official. He was face to face with an
ultramontane. The mere sight of such an one caused a nervous twitching
in his person. He resorted at once to bureaucratic weapons in making
his onslaught.

"You are mistaken, my dear sir--you are very much mistaken. The spirit
of the modern state demands that the schools of the multitude,
particularly public institutions, should be accessible to the children
of every class of citizens, without distinction of religious
profession. Consequently, the schools must be taken from under the
authority, direction, and influence of the church, and put entirely
under civil and political control. Such, too, is now the mind of our
rulers, besides that public sentiment calls for the change."

"But, Mr. Seicht, in making such a change, the state despotically
infringes on the province of religion."

"Not despotically, Mr. Gerlach, but legally; for the state is the
fountain-head of all right, and consequently possessed of unlimited
right."

"You enunciate principles, sir, which differ vastly from what morality
and religion teach."

"What signify morals--what signifies religion? Mere antiquated forms,
sir, with no living significance," explained Seicht, lavishly
displaying the treasures of the storehouse of progressionist wisdom.
"The past submitted quietly to the authority of religion, because there
existed then a low degree of intellectual culture. At present there is
only one authority--it is the preponderance of numbers and of material
forces. Consequently, the only real authority is the majority in power.
On the other hand, authorities based upon the supposed existence of a
supersensible world have lost their cause of being, for the reason that
exact science plainly demonstrates the nonexistence of an immaterial
world. _Cessante causa, cessat effectus_, the supersensible world, the
basis of religious authority, being gone, it logically results that
religious authority itself is gone. Hence the only real authority
existing in a state is the majority, and to this every citizen is
obliged to submit. You marvel, Mr. Gerlach. What I have said is not my
own personal view, but the expression of the principles which alone
pass current at the present day."

"I agree in what you say," said the banker. "You have spoken from the
standpoint of the times. The controlling power is the majority."

"Shund, then, accura