You never have to bother with them a second time." "But they help clear the air--they serve a purpose ?" suggested Harwood.
He had acquired a taste for the "Nation" and the New York "Evening Post" at college, and Bassett's frank statement of his political opinions struck Dan as mediaeval.

He was, however, instinctively a reporter, and he refrained from interposing himself further than was necessary to stimulate the talk of the man before him.
"You are quite right, Mr.Harwood.They serve an excellent purpose.

They provide an outlet; they serve as a safety valve.

Now and then they will win a fight, and that's a good thing too, for they will prove, on experiment, that they are just as human and weak in practical application of their ideas as the rest of us.

I'd even go as far as to say that in certain circumstances I'd let them win.