Few minds see their ideas crystallized into “Convictions.”  Convictions are permanent, unchangeable ideas:  based on facts and supported by satisfactory evidence, they rest on the bed-rock of truth.  Few minds indeed, particularly on the larger and fundamental issues, can claim the right to convictions.  For, convictions demand a breadth of vision and grasp of detail which are given but to few souls.  These minds, few in number, are the minds of leaders.  Their noble duty and great responsibility is to Awaken, Stimulate, and Organize the thinking of the people.  Their thoughts, their ideas, are on the unchartered sea of truth as the tossing buoy or lighted beacon from which the unthinking masses take their course.  Rather than go to the pains of thinking for themselves the crowds leave this task to a few and content themselves with ready-made opinions, as these float by with the tide of the hour.  Few make up their minds; they are made up for them.

The common opinion which reflects the mind of the great majority, embodies the prevailing idea, the universal sentiment, and directs the common action is called. . . Public Opinion.

2. Power of Public Opinion.

You readily see, by its very nature, the tremendous power of Public Opinion.  It is the “reason why,” the basis of appreciation, the norm of conduct of the great mass of the people.  As we stated before, Public Opinion is like the stream that drains to its profit the loitering energies of the individual mind, and makes them tributaries that swell its volume and compress its course.  Who can analyze the powers of this “Organized Thinking” of the people in a democracy?  Who can measure the force of these sweeping currents, of these tidal waves of Public Opinion?

In fact, Public Opinion may be considered in our modern societies as the greatest driving power.  For, Public Opinion is the vision of the unthinking multitude, and vision is the first and foremost of constructive or destructive forces.  It lights the way and invites action accordingly.  Marvellous indeed is the sweep of the tide of Public Opinion in various realms of human activities.  Its ebb and flow—­although frequently beyond analysis, are felt on every shore.

In the world of finance,—­and this is the lowest in the scale of real values,—­is not that fragile but mighty factor we call credit based on Public Opinion?  For, credit is but the general opinion of the community on the possibilities of the industry or undertaking in which its capital is involved, and on the honesty and ability of the management.

What has weakened the moral fibre of our modern society so much that at times one wonders if we are living in the Christian era?  If the home is now so often desecrated by theories of free love and trial marriages, if the cradles are empty, if the very sense of shame is a thing of the past, if the most elementary principles of morality are questioned, is it not because the public conscience is being warped, chloroformed, deadened by a frenzied propaganda of a corrupted Public Opinion?