The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-29

and there Is an inability to reason and an
indsposition toward elaboration and calm
reflection Past experiences are disre-
garded. remote consequences are not seer,
and behavior IL impuisive and spasmcdic.
Feeling is very strong and every kind OF
emotion Is likely to he exaggerated. Calm
observation is also lacking and mental
changes may be mistaken for ootcctlvo
reality. as in the case Of the hallucina-
tons that ere frequent in these rhenom-
ena"
Under the influence Of crane the moral
character az a people suffers reverclun
to q primitive type We observe the ox-
hib.tion OF primitive Instincts. such az
cruelty, revenge and Observation-Disclosures.
together With chanweabieness. fanattcism.
self-sacrfnse and enthusiastic devotion 20
q leader. All these moral traits were well
Illustrated in the revolution cranes IN
France and the persecution Of wttche. In
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuitr>.
They showed themselves IN the vangcfuI
cry. Remember the Maine" In thts ccun-
try. no less than In "Ma1uha Tim Is
avenged" IN England And they are :nnni-
fcst today In the Wild frensy Of political
conventions. athletic contests. parades
and strikes.
From such observations scientists are
led to the theory that for some reason
not yet evident under the influence Of
social exciteme something takes place
in the brain Of the individual not unlike
the action OF hypnotism. by which the
higher centers representing the more re-
cent mental and moral requirements o.
the race are temporarily paralysed. rs-
ducing the subject In . greater or less de-
gree 10 the condition Of the child and
Of the primitive man. In such q condl-
tion thought. reasoning. memory ana
association can have little place
As typical mental epidemics ~ history
AIR Patrick mentions the erSisades. parttc-
ularly the childrcns crusade the anti
Semitic mania. the dancing mania ~ the
middle ages. religious rcvivals. demon-
ophotia or witchcrnft tho massacre Of
ST. Bartholomew and the French revoiu-
ton, representing the hornicidal manila
which during war time. such as the SPAN
tsh-American struggle or tho present
troubles In China. II called the ''wnr
spirit" Then there are financial panics
and speculative maniae. when mon act
In concert like anything but reasoning be-
inEs. The stampede among animals Ia
the type Of all rAnics. They are distin-
guished By unreasoning action. perverted
Judgment. q distorted view OF the world
and its values. and moral rcverpion
prpf Patrick says cranes % an
kinda have found Z prolific soil In Amer
tea because the American mind r. highly
euSrrpttofe. Oue fau oItSf ouotuer fN4f$
over the country and In some cases re-
duces the aggregate mind to condition
Of idiocy'' A. Illustrations well within
memory he mentions the Dewey craze.
the woman's crurade In is7a. the granger
movement. the Farmers alliance the
greenbsek and the silver cranes.
This II a presidential year. The indl-
vtduAi mind n more likely 20 he excited
than during the calmer times when
scramble for office does not prompt polit-
icai Syengalis TO mako Trilby out Of
every voter. Consequently Il IL not sur
prtsing that many an individual delegate
at each Of the bic Political conventions
recently held should have done and naid
things he was heartily ashamed OF when
he got away from the influence OF the
social Anlatus Of the howltnR mob that
almost dcfied Roosevelt and bryan
II should be the purpose Of every think
Ing man to keep himsslf welf n leash.
He should not forget that when a
crowd he II as much. perhaps. suhjeee -
the hypnotic influences about him a. teaa
enlightened persons. and that In conee-
qucnce his reversion to primitive man u
likely to be more pronounced. II II :
Wise thing TO keep ones self alone with
In q crowd. Men