The record-union., 1894-06-15
THE COWARDLY AND COURAGE
Gus PUBLIC.

The public is very often cowardly IN
its impulsive manifestations: indeed,
more often cowardly than courageous.
This is a charge, however harsh it may
seem, that's being every day demonstrated
to be true. While that impersonal force
which we call public opinion is irresisti-
BILE, forms without visible manifestation,
and acts often without the secret springs
of its vitality being disclosed until it has
momentum, when it comes to the per-
sonal public--if the term can be employed
properly-standing to the front and justi-
flying its privately expressed opinion by
its courage, it is generally found wanting.
This arises out of the fact that no one
man is prepared, save in rare instances.
to stand forward and in the name of his
fellows invite the punishment OF failure
to maintain a publicly entertained opin-
ion. Take it in the case of the Sisk iyou
rancher who few weeks ago was charged
by gossip and public street talk with
host of crimes, and who came so near to
being lynohed because of the entertained
belief that he was guilty. The very accu-
sations made against him were cowardly.
because vague. gossipy and indefinite.
Yet whole community is represented as
accepting them without substantial proof
of their verify, and standing ready to
hang the man upon the slightest mani
testation of leadership. That was public
cowardice, because it was a community
act which no just individual would be
guilty of; yet in that community there
are thousands of just individuals.
When the innocence of the old man was
established the public frankly conceded
that it had been hasty and had done cruel
injustice. That is to say, it admitted that
its former position was that of cowardice;
lack of moral strength and courage to re-
sist the temptation to condemn unheard;
incspacity to face and frown down gossip
and cruel suspicion. to demand suspen-
sion of judgment and to vindicate the
presumption of innocence. This is simple
recital of fact, and no man in that COM
munity ought to or viii consider it as
personal reflection.
So, too, in the case of the Alameda
County school teacher. Public scandal.
the general cowardly public assault upon
his character, under cruel charge of i'm
morality, drove the man out of San
Leandro. He fled because of the shame
of the charge. and this was instantly con-
strued into confession of guilt Says
contemporary:
In his absence nearly every resident OF the
village profesSed TO know something against
him. Dut when he returned with courage re-
covered they were dumb. Chaplin acted the
coward when threatened with tar and feath-
ers ana everyone took a kick at him. When
he ''braced up and prepared to kick back the
others acted the coward. That is lust what
they would nave done in the first place had
Chaplin showed sufficient pluck, even II he
were guilty of impropriety He should have
armed himself when he received the anony-
NOUS warning and published challenge to
the tar and feather party to proceed. The re-
sult would have been utter silence and little
glory for him.
The public, in its impulsive manifesto
tions, is eowardly because there is so
often no sense of personal responsibility
in public action or expression; because,
also, there is a mysterious, an indefnable
influence communicated by contact or
association from individuals to indiyid-
uals that leads them to do, say and be-
heve in groups as in.their private capaci-
ties they would not. 1t is this peculiar
influence that inspires the mob, that all
have seen move great gatherings. and
lead men as a mass TO shout for that
which as individuals they repudiate.
But that which makes the public cow
ardly. which impels it to act and Judge
in a manner of which individual mem
bers are ashamed: that which contents
the public to suffer under maIadnninis-
tration of the law. corruption in Office,
public imposition and invasion of COM
mon rights, also makes the public at
times courageous, heroic. The very ab-
sence of individual responsibility in the
group brings on righteous resolutions; it
does at the ballot-box that which with
bayonets could not be accomplished. It
gives us instances of great bodies of peo-
pie standing heroically for the right, in
defense of human freedom. in defiance of
tyranny and in opposition to vice. tt