The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-24

Editor Morning News. one hears a
good deal about public opinion. or the
public mind. that is TO say. what is the
general opinion OF the public on this.
that, or the other question. Your writer
has in the past, had something to do with
public opinion. for he tried to mold it 10
his way of thinking on political questions.
All editors impress their readers more CT
less, and the reader absorbs his views.
just as church members absorb the views
Of their priests, preachers and pastors.
The average mind does a very little
thinking per Sc, for IL is far easier 10
repeat what Is heard than 10 manufac-
ture an original thought. Men, the mass
of men. call for who Is your authority"
Where did you get that idea fromI
Judging every one by themselves they
look 10 some one to do their thinking for
them. The masses are subjected TO au-
thOrity. both in politics and religion, and
become mere echos Of leaders and relig-
Who ever heard of a party leader or a
religious teacher telling the people TO
read, 10 think, TO investigate, TO be really
Independent Of them and OF what they
say2 But on the contrary, If they are
leaders and teachers they say if not in 50
many words at least by action.
Il am Sir Oracle
And. when 1 open my lips, let no dog
bark"
I was struck with the following great
truth in my reading: THE public mind,
composed as it is of the minds of individ-
uals, Is incapable OF entertaining more
than one great problem at a time. 1t is
not the highly endowed who are the
measure of the pubhc's power of appre-
henstOn, for these only serve to overcome
the lesser powers Of the submerged tenth,
and contribute to general averages; so
the average mird IS the true measure-o1
the public mind In other words the av-
erage mind can only take in one idea at
time, and 1t needs instruction on that
one question.
Men buried to their eyebrows in bust
ness, looking after and nursing their own
individual interests have no time to study
politics, as politics, or the science of gov
eminent and the policies or government.
1t is the editor and the statesman who do
that for that is their business If they
comprehend their duties. The physicians
business is to study disease, the lawyers
principles of law, the merchants the
markets. If they have time and inclina-
tion of course they can study any and
every thing that pleaSes their mental
tastes.
To Illustrate the idea wish to convey,
give to the people some two or three pro-
positions to discuss and digest, and the
heads will be confused, COMPOUNDED, and
cloudy with thought. Give them the gold
and silver question, the tarim question,
the banking question the internal i'm
provement question, the Monroe doctrine
question, and their brains would be in
chaotic condition pretty soon. they
would be given too much to think about
or digest, and the result would be, only
one question would be considered by
coming presidential campaign the money
question and the tariff will be the issue,
but the mass of the people will only dis
cuss the money question, and upon that
a president will be elected.
The people will call for leaders, and as
they are impressed by them will so vote!
The measure of the public mind will only
want one question to consider and no
more. Every one is interested in the mon
ey question; the manufacturers and mer-
chants are interested in the tariff ques-
ton, and those who want rivers cleaned
out in the internal improvement question.
But the great mass will talk money.
In the days of jefferson, Hamilton and
Adams, 1t was a. question of government
or a nation. jefferson wanted a govern
ment, a republican government, while
Hamilton and Adams wanted a CONSOLE
dated nation. The people wanted a gov
eminent and not a nation, and the result
was we have the United States govern
ment and not the United States nation.
St. Paul who knew a. thing or two, knew
how to talk to the masses and touch hui
man nature and he knew the average
mental depth of the people He said to
his hearers: Il have fed you with milk,
and not with meat; for hitherto We were
not able to bear 1t, neither yet now are
We able" In other words feed the people
ON what they can easily digest, and do
not crowd their mental stomach.
r. NJ o,