Faced with Franz, those people could only make their public-opinion offensive more tactful.
Of course, many people felt that trying to reason with the Emperor was unrealistic. Yet a few still had to keep fighting for special reasons, so they could only use greater causes to pressure Franz.
For instance, the future of the German Nation, the development of the German lands. For such lofty goals, some people ought to be sacrificed.
"Then who gets to decide who should be sacrificed?"
One major reason nationalism had been abused throughout history was that it could lower costs by making people endure greater suffering.
Franz had countless ways to refute them, but in order to pave the way for what came next, he directly pointed out the most central, most fundamental issue.
It was also a question no ordinary person could possibly handle. No matter how eloquent an orator or influential an opinion leader he was, touching this question would ruin him.
Because it was a fatal question as well. At this moment, it could be considered using their own methods against them. After all, Franz personally stepping into the fray was rather beneath him, but he was doing it to make his stance clear.
If their answer was some political entity, the other political entities would not agree.
If their answer was some abstract entity such as "the people," then that entity would in turn become the common enemy of monarchs and the bourgeoisie.
And if they truly answered that way, the passage of the Labor Protection Act would no longer be the issue. The issue was that they were opposing the Labor Protection Act. That would be putting the cart before the horse.
Once the public saw their true colors, they would kick them while they were down.
This was