野党

解説

付記

ガーガルー王は、政治の学問を修めるために国外に出ていたが、 帰国後、最も肥え太った臣民100人を議会に任じ、 歳入を集めるための法律を作らせた。 そのうち40人を「野党」と名づけ、 「王の提案すべてに反対するように」と首相に命じた。 ところが最初の法案は、全会一致で可決されてしまった。 激怒した王はこれを拒否し、野党に言い渡した。 「次に同じことをしたら、首を落とすぞ」 すると40人全員が即座に腹を掻き切った。 「さて、これからどうする？」と王。 「野党なき民主制度など維持できぬではないか」 「宇宙の光よ」と首相は答えた。 「奴らはもはや生きてはおりませぬが、すべてが失われたわけではございません。 この塵に等しき虫めにお任せを」 そこで首相は野党の遺体を防腐処理し、ワラを詰め、 議席に縫い付けて据え直した。 以来、すべての法案に必ず40票の反対票が記録され、 国は繁栄した。 だがある日――「いぼ税」法案が否決された。 与党議員が席に縫い付けられていなかったのだ！ 怒り狂った王は首相を処刑し、 議会を大砲で粉砕し、 「人民の人民による人民のための政治」は ガーガルーから消え去った。

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Original

In politics the party that prevents the Government from running amuck by hamstringing it.

Additional notes

The King of Ghargaroo, who had been abroad to study the science of government, appointed one hundred of his fattest subjects as members of a parliament to make laws for the collection of revenue. Forty of these he named the Party of Opposition and had his Prime Minister carefully instruct them in their duty of opposing every royal measure. Nevertheless, the first one that was submitted passed unanimously. Greatly displeased, the King vetoed it, informing the Opposition that if they did that again they would pay for their obstinacy with their heads. The entire forty promptly disemboweled themselves. What shall we do now? the King asked. "Liberal institutions cannot be maintained without a party of Opposition." Splendor of the universe, replied the Prime Minister, "it is true these dogs of darkness have no longer their credentials, but all is not lost. Leave the matter to this worm of the dust." So the Minister had the bodies of his Majesty's Opposition embalmed and stuffed with straw, put back into the seats of power and nailed there. Forty votes were recorded against every bill and the nation prospered. But one day a bill imposing a tax on warts was defeated—the members of the Government party had not been nailed to their seats! This so enraged the King that the Prime Minister was put to death, the parliament was dissolved with a battery of artillery, and government of the people, by the people, for the people perished from Ghargaroo.