If voting changed anything, they'd abolish it.

If voting changed anything, they'd abolish it.

Slavery is but half abolished, emancipation is but half
completed, while millions of freeman with votes in their hands read more

Slavery is but half abolished, emancipation is but half
completed, while millions of freeman with votes in their hands
are left without education.

Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to read more

Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right

Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote.

Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote.

I hope that no American . . . will waste his franchise and throw
away his vote by voting read more

I hope that no American . . . will waste his franchise and throw
away his vote by voting either for me or against me solely on
account of my religious affiliation. It is not relevant.

Democracy is a beautiful thing, except for that part about letting just any old yokel vote.

Democracy is a beautiful thing, except for that part about letting just any old yokel vote.

I court not the votes of the fickle mob.
[Lat., Non ego ventosae plebis suffragia venor.]

I court not the votes of the fickle mob.
[Lat., Non ego ventosae plebis suffragia venor.]

Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of read more

Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority; the political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities (and the smallest minority on earth is the individual).

He is one of those wise philanthropists who, in a time of famine,
would vote for nothing but a read more

He is one of those wise philanthropists who, in a time of famine,
would vote for nothing but a supply of toothpicks.