Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17
SundayMorning Talk
Ourselves and Public Sentiment

| Ourselves and Public Sentiment.
| Who makes that important and power
full commodity known as public senti-
| ment? The press. the pulpit. the colleges.
the lecture platforms? Certainly. But
| these institutions are not impersonal
agencies. but the channel through which
| individuals express themselves. The
preacher. the editor. the teacher. the edu-
Gator are single units subject to the In
| fluences which control the rest of man.
kind, sometimes mere echoes OF others as
they put their ears to the ground. some
times thoroughly independent and yet
not even then able always to conform
public opinion to their own ideals.
For what. after all, Is public sentiment?
1t Is one mans thought OF life and duty,
of responsibility and Of service plus an
other mans and anothers. and so on. to
The end of the street or Of the world. The
| sentiment OF any home is the combination
of what mother and father and grandpa
and grandma and the children think or
feel on any one matter. The public
sentiment of any community Is the ag-
gregate of many purely personal views
and ideas College sentiment Is what the
mass of the fellows feel about athletics
or the professors on anything else.
Every one of us is a maker of public
pinion to the extent that he has honest
convictions on any subject and the cour-
age and wisdom wherewith to express
them. In a season Of business depression
one may either contribute to its contin-
uatiOn or to its disappearance as speedily
| as possible simply by talking Respondent
~ or cheerfully. Or take any unfortunate
situation that arises. how much the indi-
vidual attitude has to do with the better
ing or prolongation of it. II the clatter
!,f To- 70
isn't 1t awfulg' What A pitiable plight
we are in" ''Who would have thought
that So and SO would have acted this
way" then 1t will be only a little while
before a general atmosphere OF pessimism
and inaction settles over the community.
If. on the other hand. individuals say.
YES, things are pretty bad. but If we
will take hold altogether heartily We
can better them then A spirit of ex-
pectancy and good cheer Is created.
When tongues begin to talk about the
character OF this or that person. how
much can one do to stay the tide OF gossip
and SANDER to secure a suspension OF
judgment and the Interpretation of GER
tain actions charitably as the circum-
stances permit. I admire the man who
will stand up in the crowd and say. Gen
tlemen. are you sure you are doing justice
to this man whom you are SO vehemently
condemning? Have you heard his side OF
the case? Are you sure you have gotten
to the bottom facts?"
May / venture a special word to women
on this point? You are the ultimate
source OF a great deal Of public sentiment
Your talk with one another helps power
fully to make or mar the reputation OF
many another. Will you not use your
special talent and your special opportu-
nifty to create the kind of sentiment that
ennobles a community and dignifies hu-
man life?
We all need to realize that by our
words and attitude day after day we are
adding something to the influence of pub
lie opinion. We are helping either to de-
feat or enforce the laws for which we
vote all too much inclined often to shift
entirely upon others the duty OF their en-
fOrcement
What have we done this past week to
street, our neighborhood. our country
purer and higher? What will we do next
week? THE~PARSON.