JUDGE CRITTY
Pardon me, sir—theoretically, no; but practically, yes, you did. If my bench orations hadn’t been passionately opposed to everything that even threatened the divine right of capital, why, you wouldn’t be considering me for the Supreme Bench now. How can a lawyer succeed nowadays except through capital?
THE DEVIL (closes door and stands with his back to it)
True enough, Magnus; true enough—(Looks at the light, which has hung gravely suspended through these operations)
THE DEVIL
The greedy millionaire criminal makes all the little criminals. He needs men like this hypocrite here (pointing to the Judge)—needs them to save corporations from fines, their officers from jail—with that damnable word “unconstitutional”; just as he needs Senators to make trust laws easy to break; Governors to sign exemptions and pardons; aldermen to steal city franchises; bosses to elect those aldermen to order; murdering gangsters to kill honest voting; and police who will permit the gangsters to steal, pimp and kill, and who share in their spoils. (Still addressing the light) And every crime of the lot—yes—don’t shrink from your guilt—even the stealing, the pimping, and the killing—is the fault of the greedy millionaire. (Pointing to the Judge) Even that might have been a man—
JUDGE CRITTY (anxiously)
But, Mr. Magnus—
THE DEVIL
No hypocrite may be trusted upon the Supreme Bench, Judge.