Topic: Politics, Matches 42 quotes.

George Washington on the Evils of Faction

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual, and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation on the ruins of public liberty.

Source: George Washington

Topics: Freedom, Loss of; Politics

Party Passions

Speaking of the rancor of party spirit and the results which flow from it, Washington said:

“It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another; foments occasional riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.”

Source: J. Reuben Clark
“Stand Fast by Our Constitution”

Topics: Politics

Party Above Country?

Why do men place party above country? One of the answers is obvious, namely, for selfish personal interest and the emoluments of office. The other answer is not quite so apparent. It is, so it seems to me, a lack of an adequate concept of the place and function of government in human affairs. Now the only remedy I know for the eradication of the misconception is in the inculcation of the Savior’s doctrine of altruistic service. “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matt. 16:25.) This unselfish doctrine is the true foundation for neighborliness and friendliness among men and for the great principles of charity and love. Contraction of the heart is perhaps the most malignant malady afflicting the world. I know of no prescription nearly so effective as that of giving—giving one’s substance and giving one’s self. You may well measure the patriotism and real devotion of citizens of this country to its institutions and lofty ideals by the extent to which selfish ends are subordinated to the common good. It is a very definite perversion of the rightful place and concept of party organization and procedure in our government to subordinate the nation’s prestige and welfare to partisan preferment and personal aggrandizement. I am pleased to observe that there are indications which point to better conditions in this respect.

Source: Elder Stephen L. Richards
Where is Wisdom?, p. 283 - 284

Topics: Politics

I am pro-Constitution, pro-Government, as it was established under the Constitution, pro-free institutions, as they have been developed under and through the Constitution, pro-liberty, pro-freedom, pro-full and complete independence and sovereignty, pro-local self-government, and pro-everything else that has made us the free country we had grown to be in the first 130 years of our national existence.

It necessarily follows that I am anti-internationalist, anti-interventionist, anti-meddlesome-busybodiness in our international affairs. In the domestic field, I am anti-socialist, anti-Communist, anti-Welfare State. I am what the kindlier ones of all these latter people with whom I am denying any association or sympathy, would call a rabid reactionary (I am not, in fact, that). Some of the unkindly ones will shrug their shoulders and say, “He is just a doddering ‘old fogy.’” I admit the age, but deny the rest of the allegation—the doddering and fogyness. Some will join issue with me on this personal estimate and conclusion; but so be it.

As I proceed, some will say, “Oh, he is talking about the past; but this is a new world, new conditions, new problems,” and so on. To this I will content myself with answering—human nature does not change; in its basic elements it now is as it was at the dawn of history, as our present tragic plight shows. Even savages inflict no greater inhumanities than are going on in the world today.

In the mad thrusting of ourselves, with a batch of curative political nostrums, into the turmoil and tragedy of today’s world, we are like a physician called in to treat a virulent case of smallpox, and whose treatment consists in getting into bed with his patient. That is not the way to cure smallpox.

Source: J. Reuben Clark
Stand Fast by Our Constitution, pp. 96-7

Topics: Politics

I did not think the public offices confided to me to give away as charities.

Source: Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 1802. ME 10:332

Topics: Politics

It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.

Source: Thomas Sowell

Topics: Politics

What is politically defined as economic “planning” is the forcible superseding of other people’s plans by government officials.

Source: Thomas Sowell

Topics: Economics; Force; Politics

Influence In The Americas

I suppose you brethren will all know, but I will recall it to your attention, that the Constitution of the United States is the basic law for all of the Americas, or Zion, as it has been defined by the Lord.

You brethren from Canada know that, your great British North America Act, in its fundamental principles, is based upon our Constitution, and you know that in the courts of Canada, the reports of our Supreme Court, and our Federal courts generally, are just as persuasive as the decisions of the courts of England, and even more so, where questions of constitutional law and constitutional interpretation are involved.

Now, I am not caring today, for myself, anything at all about a political party tag. So far as I am concerned, I want to know what the man stands for. I want to know if he believes in the Constitution; if he believes in its free institutions; if he believes in its liberties, its freedom. I want to know if he believes in the Bill of Rights. I want to know if he believes in the separation of sovereign power into the three great divisions: the Legislative, the Judicial, the Executive. I want to know if he believes in the mutual independence of these, the one from the other. When I find out these things, then I know who it is who should receive my support, and I care not what his party tag is, because, brethren, if we are to live as a Church, and progress, and have the right to worship as we are worshipping here today, we must have the great guarantees that are set up by our Constitution. There is no other way in which we can secure these guarantees. You may look at the systems all over the world where the principles of our Constitution are not controlling and in force, and you will find there dictatorship, tyranny, oppression, and, in the last analysis, slavery.

Source: President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
General Conference, October 1942

Topics: Law; Politics

I think a good place to start is always at home. Each one of us should resolve that we in and of ourselves will develop qualities of leadership and of honesty and of integrity and of justice and equity. We should be willing to take these principles, these characteristics, the ability which we thus create within ourselves, and give ourselves to the benefit of our city and of our county and of our state and of our nation.

This year there will probably be no more than fifty percent of the qualified voters in this great nation who will exercise their franchise. The officers who may be elected in the great elections to be held this year will be elected by minorities and will not represent the vote or the will of the majority. You know there are two kinds of offenses in the world—offenses of commission and offenses of omission. We sometimes do things that we should not do, and then again, we do not do some things that we should. I hope that Latter-day Saints will not permit themselves, political- wise, to fall into this latter category and be classed among those who give offense because they fail to do that which they should do. I would like to know if a reason exists that would justify a Latter-day Saint in not exercising his franchise for the party and the man of his own choice.

No political party is justified to continue in existence unless it clearly states the principles which it advocates, the platform upon which its candidates stand, and then with integrity, when and if elected, carry out those principles and live up to that platform. Except that be the case, we as Latter-day Saints should not align ourselves to any party, because we do not have the basis upon which we can make an intelligent decision. We must know what they stand for before we can favor them with our vote. I do not ask you, my brethren and sisters, to go to the polls and just vote, important as that is; but that when you vote, you vote intelligently for those principles and those things and those men which will give to you the kind of government you want, the kind of environment that you desire for yourself and for your posterity.

Source: Elder Henry D. Moyle
General Conference, April 1952

Topics: Morality; Politics; Voting

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