Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 1.djvu/781

Rh connected with unselfishness? Is it egoism that the mass detests, or is it failure, narrow heartedness or insignificance? How can the public that suffers the plunderer of its money to bask for years in the sunshine of its favor be of any aid in social control?

The answer to this is that the public sentiment we rely on is not at all the primitive feeling called up in the breasts of men on beholding this or that example of conduct. In the first place the feeling, whether of love or hatred, admiration or contempt, far from being spontaneous appears only on reference of the act to certain inner standards. But these standards have been slowly worked out by society and stamped upon the minds of its members. The public, therefore, is a packed jury already coached and trained to render a particular kind of verdict. In the second place the first impressions left on the public mind are not permitted to guide its policy. Scattered through the heedless mass who throw up their caps for bold rascality, and jeer at patient labor for the unmanifest public good are sagacious men, who say "Do we dare encourage this?" "Do we dare discourage that?" By reasoning, by expostulation, by warning of consequences the mass is enlightened, the sober second thought prevails and the public is prevented from quarrelling with its own interests. The public opinion, therefore, that serves social control is an enlightened sophisticated opinion, and the public sentiment is in a way a manufactured sentiment. It is only an intelligent public, accustomed to rally about certain approved centers of authoritv that can be trusted to use in its own interest its power over the conduct of the individual.

Public control is better in some respects than legal control. It is not so mechanical or automatic and permits a larger view of the situation. The public can weigh provocation, can take into account mitigating or aggravating circumstances of time, place, motive, or office. It can have regard to one's entire career, letting past service condone present fault, or present heroism wipe