Quotes on Expedience

The most useful thing about a principle is that it can always be sacrificed to expediency.

Justice, not expedience, must be the guiding light. The orator must fix his eye on the polestar of justice, and plough straight thither. The moment he glances toward expediency, he falls from his high estate.

The lawyer's truth is not Truth, but consistency or a consistent expediency.

On some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it right? There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.

There are no morals in politics; there is only expedience. A scoundrel may be of use to us just because he is a scoundrel.