The shopman is,under decent restraints,let us hope,trying to get what he can out of the nation;the shop assistant may,under the same decent restraints,get what he can out of the shopkeeper.All this distinction is very obvious.At least I should have thought so.
But the primary point which I mean is this.That even if we do take the military view of mercantile service,even if we do call the rebellious shop assistant "disloyal"--that leaves exactly where it was the question of whether he is,in point of fact,in a good or bad shop.Granted that all Mr.Poole's employees are bound to follow for ever the cloven pennon of the Perfect Pair of Trousers,it is all the more true that the pennon may,in point of fact,become imperfect.Granted that all Barney Barnato's workers ought to have followed him to death or glory,it is still a Perfectly legitimate question to ask which he was likely to lead them to.Granted that Dr.Sawyer's boy ought to die for his master's medicines,we may still hold an inquest to find out if he died of them.
While we forbid the soldier to shoot the general,we may still wish the general were shot.