Once I should have been, if not satisfied, partially, at least, contented with suffrage for the intelligent and those who have been soldiers; now I am convinced that universal suffrage is demanded by sound policy and impartial justice.
Interpretation
The quote advocates for universal suffrage as essential for justice and sound governance.
Salmon P. Chase reflects on his evolving perspective regarding voting rights. Initially, he believed suffrage should be limited to educated individuals and soldiers, but he now recognizes that universal suffrage is crucial for ensuring justice and fairness in society. This shift illustrates a deeper understanding of democratic principles and the importance of including all voices in the political process.
In practice
During a presentation on voting rights, this quote can be used to highlight the importance of inclusive democracy.
My agency in promoting the passage of the National Bank Act was the greatest financial mistake of my life. It has built up a monopoly, which affects every interest in the country. It should be repealed, but before that can be accomplished, the people will be arrayed on one side and the banks on the other, in a contest such as we have never before seen in this country.
The law of the Creator, which invests every human being with an inalienable title to freedom, cannot be repealed by any interior law which asserts that man is property.
And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of all mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God.
In the long run, global politics are bound to become increasingly uncongenial to the concentration of hegemonic power in the hands of a single state. Hence, America is not only the first, as well as the only, truly global superpower, but it is also likely to be the very last.
Look, I worked with American Republican presidents and Democratic presidents, all of them, and each of them has shown a deep and profound friendship to Israel, you know? I can't remember anybody who was in that sense negative as far as Israel is concerned.
We used to play marbles for keeps. If you lost, you lost. It is the same way with politics, but not everybody knows this.
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
Government ought to be all outside and no inside. . . . Everybody knows that corruption thrives in secret places, and avoids public places, and we believe it a fair presumption that secrecy means impropriety.
The public is strongly in favor of the Kyoto Protocols, so strongly in favor that a majority of Bush voters thought that he was in favor of it. They are simply unaware.
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