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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.
我们在最近的民意调查中发现，国民当中有一半的人深信在金钱之下存在拯救之道，而另一半人同样深信在金钱之下暗藏着毁灭。你认为在这次调查中，双方都有十分之一的人对该问题的看法有合理的根据吗？我深入彻底地研究过那个宏大的问题——结果一无所获。我国有一半的国民热情地支持高关税政策，而另外一半国民却正好相反。这是否意味着研究和细查？还是只是感觉而已？我认为答案是后者。我也深入地研究过那个问题——但仍没有得出任何结论。们所有人的感觉是无止境的，而我们却误将其当作思考。我们从中得出一个集合体，并视之为“万能钥匙”。它就是“公众观点”。人们敬畏它。它能解决任何问题有人认为，它其实就是“上帝的声音”。
