評論
打印
In our late canvass half of the nation passionately believed that in silver lay salvation, the other half as passionately believed that that way lay destruction. Do you believe that a tenth part of—in our late canvass—half of the nation passionately believed that in silver lay salvation, the other people, on either side, had any rational excuse for having an opinion about the matter at all? I studied that mighty question to the bottom—came out empty. Half of our people passionately believe in high tariff, the other half believe otherwise. Does this mean study and examination, or only feeling? The latter, I think. I have deeply studied that question, too— and didn't arrive. We all do no end of feeling, and we mistake it for thinking. And out of it we get an aggregation which we consider a boon. Its name is Public Opinion. It is held in reverence. It settles everything. Some think it the Voice of God.
我們在最近的民意調查中發現，國民當中有一半的人深信在金錢之下存在拯救之道，而另一半人同樣深信在金錢之下暗藏著毀滅。你認為在這次調查中，雙方都有十分之一的人對該問題的看法有合理的根據嗎？我深入徹底地研究過那個宏大的問題——結果一無所獲。我國有一半的國民熱情地支持高關稅政策，而另外一半國民卻正好相反。這是否意味著研究和細查？還是只是感覺而已？我認為答案是后者。我也深入地研究過那個問題——但仍沒有得出任何結論。們所有人的感覺是無止境的，而我們卻誤將其當作思考。我們從中得出一個集合體，并視之為“萬能鑰匙”。它就是“公眾觀點”。人們敬畏它。它能解決任何問題有人認為，它其實就是“上帝的聲音”。
