Edmund Burke's concept, "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing," is supported in the short story, "The Devil and Tom Walker," because the good men in the town did nothing to stop the evil spirits in Tom, Mrs. Walker, or Old Scratch (the devil.) The townspeople simply let evil take over their town and did not a thing to try to stop Tom in his evil pursuit of riches which is why the story supports the quote. "The Devil and Tom Walker," can be summoned by Tom, Old Scratch, and Mrs. Walker and the evil way they live each day of their lives.

Both Tom Walker and his wife, Mrs. Walker had little and was very stingy and cold hearted. They were so stingy that they even tried to cheat each other and keep everything of any value for...