"The politicians," replied the young typographer.
"Felbeck wants to be President of the Republic," said the man in brown.
"Is there to be a debate?" asked Markus.
"Listen! Hakkema is coming, too. Oh, there'll be a racket!" said Jan.
"You might say a little something, too, Markus," said Roodhuis. "You must give that confounded military set a good thrashing, just such as you give the pious."
"I never have given the pious a 'thrashing,'" said Markus.
"That's a damn shame!" said the man with the sandals. "Religion is the root of all evil."
"No, it's militarism," said Roodhuis.
"No, alcohol," said the young typographer.
"Neither of them! It's eating meat that does it," said a pale, slim little woman, not yet twenty. "First you slaughter animals, then you eat them, then you drink, and then you murder and steal. One thing leads to another."