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A political emergency brings out the corn-pone opinion in fine force in its two chief varieties—the pocketbook variety, which has its origin in self-interest, and the bigger variety, the sentimental variety—the one which can't bear to be outside the pale; can't bearto be in disfavor; can't endure the averted face and the cold shoulder; wants to stand well with his friends, wants to be smiled upon, wants to be welcome, wants to hear the precious words, "He's on the right track!" Uttered, perhaps by an ass, but still an ass of high degree, an ass whose approval is gold and diamonds to a smaller ass, and confers glory and honor and happiness, and membership in the herd. For these gauds many a man will dump his life-long principles into the street, and his conscience along with them. We have seen it happen. In some millions of instances.
政治上的紧急情况会充分显示出从众观点的两种主要变化类型——看重经济利益的一类，它来源于利己之心；更多一部分人是感情用事的一类——这一类人无法忍受不被接受；无法忍受失宠，无法忍受别人的忽视和怠慢；想博得朋友的好感；想让人笑脸相迎，想受人欢迎，想听到中听的赞扬之语：“他干得多么正确！”说这话的可能是傻瓜，但那却是个地位高的傻瓜，一个傻瓜的赞同对于一个更傻的傻瓜来说就是黄金与钻石，就像是授予了荣耀、名誉和幸福以及成为那一群体成员之一的资格。为了这些俗不可耐的玩意儿，许多人会把自己一生信守的原则抛到九霄云外，连同他们的良心。我们已经看到过这样的事情，例子不胜枚举。
