The men fail to see the logic of the scheme and argue that because their wages are higher, they are simply greater and that is that. Hank is unbearably frustrated with the men and tells them that 1300 years from hence, men will be able to set their own wages through trade unions. The men are taken aback and refuse to believe that such a lawless time will come. During their debate the subject of the pillory comes up, and Hank digresses to explain to them why he thinks the pillory ought to be abolished. During the heated discussion, he mistakenly slips out that at the wages these men are paying their apprentices, they can be legally placed in the stocks themselves.
Twain applies a modern politico-economic discussion to a sixth century scenario.
He speaks on behalf of free trade against protectionism in terms of crude 'village' business, but the arguments share the same essence with Twain's political reasons for deserting the Republican party to vote for Democrat Cleveland, a free trade advocate, in 1884. But the king awakes from his nap and feeling good, begins to talk about farming. Now the townsmen believe Arthur to be mad and Hank to be a traitor. They try to kill the men, but Arthur rises up to his combative nature and strikes them down. Arthur and Hank take to the woods and soon hear a posse with dogs coming after them.