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.

Vote early and vote often.

Vote early and vote often.

All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing read more

All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong.

The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls read more

The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is read more

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.

Your every voter, as surely as your chief magistrate, under the
same high sanction, though in a different sphere, read more

Your every voter, as surely as your chief magistrate, under the
same high sanction, though in a different sphere, exercises a
public trust.

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

Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we read more

Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do.