New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-06

to the same decision whether II he composed or
intelligent men. intellectual medocrities. or
mixture of both The lay observer would say
that this proved the perennial virtue or justice
and the impartial devotion rendered to her pS
all classes Of honest men. NJ. lie Bon assures
us that "Juries furnish us a good example
of the slight Importance of the mental lever Oh
the different elements composing crowd, so far
the decision it comes to are concerned
When a deliberative assembly is called upon
to give its opinion on question OF character
not entirely technical intelligence STANDS ior
nothing. For instance. gathering OF scientihc
men, of artists. owing To the mere fact tha'
they form an assembagc, will not deliver Judg-
ments general subjects sensiby diiiere"'
from those rendered by gathering OF masonS
or grocers'
Here NJ lie Bon is upon readily depataple
ground Granting the insecure verdict Vi
iuridical crowd" that is. If criminal JURY VI
one Of the scientific or artistic compos''o" ~
which our author refers. is the eNplaha''o"
necessarily to be found az NJ. lie Bon "a'h'"'"'
i'm the mere fact OF the crowd Is IL not '"''
as likely that the jurors are merely '''"'"H "
certain special information apph'""e
case in hand, lack not in'ompai'p'e "'',' no
intelligence. and. indeed. the more "''
mitted as the intelligence OF the Hhu'' ''"''
creases? Such lack Is calculator " ''""
reasonable man more open to coh''''o'' w
,.,,,,rg to defer 70 the opinion Of another ana
thus we might such crowd aS W. "
has in mind in this connection. acting WIN
- ,,, ,ho, IL reoliv "A credit to their indi-
,,, sanity and calm Judgment Inc INA"
, l., no, sura of a thing because of insuiicieht
knowledge is not degraded by accep''.s VIZ"
Of
,,, ,,,ar informed To ask him 10 hh""
'.,.,. ohso,,,e accuracy that his companion Is
,.,, os no ia himself is 10 ask OF MN
omniscience =, DO, or
. ,,oro,o his claims He does not 'hihh Nv
, Lie; man IN he omniscent when ne aSN'
, =. =. -, s,,neror to his fellows on joining '"'"
e., . largo mr. even a small gathering. but VI '"e
cd 1, comes TO this and 1t is an error we ''
,,avs NJ which the correction shouln iiN''N'
u,,s,on NJ the entire work before us ih'S n''
.,ouse NJ It. Bon often makes spec"o "'''
,oL.s but rather because his whole po'ht Vi Wv"
l., thot ~ 4 writer too much convinced vi '"'
,,.er % science 10 track the doings OF the n"'"'"
~ ,o their source He protests that II" II
Ming with the crowd. with the popular ""'
rbe terms employed are Of very h''ic co"'
ararce Our author might just as well say '"'
race " or mankind" since his ac'ep'""'e va
Caesar a Mahomet a Napoleon as 'he CUM '''"e
figures Of this or that epoch IN clVih|a"'" u'
ma, rrevont his ascrption OF their success u 'i'''
handling of the crowd by understanding 'he '"'-
,.r and giving IT it's head In an open OF Il 'o'-
cealed manner Napoleon, his argument '"''
,.s higher than the crowd. yet he ruled through
,mposing upon the crowd. ana ma" ''''
hehind him in all his actions once w" ''''
cepted this method Of summing up h'S'''' -"
ia no limit to it's employment Inc ""''
which NJ Le Bon draws against '"e
short is one he drawn aeaihs' III" e''''' "
II. may reply that science can ara" SUI" "'' 80
allotment without feeling that she ~ Pr'S"'''"e
unon her power but there We phr' '"''p'"' WIZ
NJ Te Ron We cannot believ" tha' '"' NV"
tho civil War. for example. were "'''
.,-o, -, , cause which had happened To
strike their fancy. regardless ~ r'"S"' ~ '''"
,na, ,b.v might lust AZ easily have been
enlisted in a new descent upon Inv S"
,',,h . view TO establishing IN" trade upon
scale never before known 7" man ""'
at last by some lucky fanatic
Where NJ I.e Bon permits his point "' VIZ" w.
10 d,s,ortcd and the value Of his book 'h'r'-
80 no considerably vitiated Is In falling 10
draw the necessary distinctions between "h"' W.
go oor.e win him for the sake OF argument
T., o,,,c "crowds" Years when ki"hl
,,ro,e his remarkable book on IN" N"'"'" '"
tory ~ German Life" he pointed out IN" "'''S''
., an ovcr-educated or even n"riha"S W."
oa,.d nrol.tariat. and the danger = l'''N "
-. ,erceIved Education makes eich m''np'f III
q n,schievous crowd more mischeV"us' '"'
,,,,.os him q wider scope To believe NJ Le hoh
We ,vouId have to imagine n mob "i "''"e'R'"'
,a,cs not merely az equal To mob 81 "fu'H'"
,oafers in ferocity. which is conc'iNap' ""' ~
carving all through their depredations an 'iu"'-
T., low measure ~ understanding. an "1""'N 10"
.,,,a y, crime which IL preposte:ous
"The Crowd is a book To be read vim r'Ser-
yat,ons but To be- appreciated for its syst""huz-
,,, ~ things we know already To nnd the nihd
~ crowds carefully pgeonholcd IN one DIVISION
Oh. oninions and beliefs OF crowds III ahoti.r'
and q classification OF the different xmas OF
crowds set forth In a third Is TO 'ce Srattune
,rbich js not lesscned by the fact that ~ the
aivieions and subdivisions are matters OF com
ronnlace which might we'll be taken less seri-
ous,v than NJ lie Bon takes them.
MAJOR AND MINOR.