---
title: "2 Political power Quotes By William Graham Sumner"
description: "2 Political power quotes by William Graham Sumner. Plus more from William Graham Sumner and more Political power sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/william-graham-sumner-5011_assuming_the-real-danger-of-democracy-is-that-the_1563242.png"
---

> [The real danger of democracy is, that the classes which have the power under it will assume all the rights and reject all the duties-that is, that they will use the political power to plunder those-who-have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-real-danger-of-democracy-is-that-the-classes-which-have-the-power/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/william-graham-sumner-5011_assuming_the-real-danger-of-democracy-is-that-the_1563242.png)

> [In England pensions used to be given to aristocrats, because aristocrats had political influence, in order to corrupt them. Here pensions are given to the great democratic mass, because they have political power, to corrupt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/in-england-pensions-used-to-be-given-to-aristocrats-because/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/661/william-graham-sumner-5011_democratic_in-england-pensions-used-to-be-given-to_2010990.jpg)

## Other authors on Political power

- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b007/author-daron-acemoglu-26873.jpg) Daron Acemoğlu 13 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-power/daron-acemo-lu/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b019/author-plato-75782.jpg) Plato 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-power/plato/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b003/author-alexander-whyte-11059.jpg) Robert Caro 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-power/robert-caro/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b011/author-howard-zinn-42481.jpg) Howard Zinn 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-power/howard-zinn/)

## More by William Graham Sumner

> [The great force for forging a society into a solid mass has always been war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-great-force-for-forging-a-society-into-a-solid-mass-has-always/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [One thing must be granted to the rich: they are goodnatured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/one-thing-must-be-granted-to-the-rich-they-are-goodnatured/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [“Can anyone imagine that the masterfulness, the overbearing disposition, the greed of gain, and the ruthlessness in methods, which are the faults of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/can-anyone-imagine-that-the-masterfulness-the-overbearing-disposition/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The waste of capital, in proportion to the total capital, in this country between 1800 and 1850, in the attempts which were made to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-waste-of-capital-in-proportion-to-the-total-capital-in-this/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [We shall find that every effort to realize equality necessitates a sacrifice of liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/we-shall-find-that-every-effort-to-realize-equality-necessitates-a/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [Who is the Forgotten Man? He is the clean, quiet, virtuous, domestic citizen, who pays his debts and his taxes and is never heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/who-is-the-forgotten-man-he-is-the-clean-quiet-virtuous-domestic/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The men who start out with the notion that the world owes them a living generally find that the world pays its 'debt' in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-men-who-start-out-with-the-notion-that-the-world-owes-them-a/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The taxing power is especially something after which the reformer's finger always itches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-taxing-power-is-especially-something-after-which-the-reformer-s/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [Great captains of industry are as rare as great generals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/great-captains-of-industry-are-as-rare-as-great-generals/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [Whatever capital you divert to the support of a shiftless and good-for-nothing person is so much diverted from some other employment, and that means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/whatever-capital-you-divert-to-the-support-of-a-shiftless-and-good/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [ The yearning after equality \[in economic outcome\] is the offspring of envy and covetousness, and there is no possible plan for satisfying that yearning… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-yearning-after-equality-in-economic-outcome-is-the-offspring-of/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [I never have known a man of ordinary common-sense who did not urge upon his sons, from earliest childhood, doctrines of economy and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/i-never-have-known-a-man-of-ordinary-common-sense-who-did-not-urge/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [Before the tribunal of nature, a man has no more right to life than a rattlesnake; he has no more right to liberty than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/before-the-tribunal-of-nature-a-man-has-no-more-right-to-life-than-a/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The millionaires are a product of natural selection ... the naturally selected agents of society for certain work. They get high wages and live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-millionaires-are-a-product-of-natural-selection-the-naturally/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [Perhaps they do not recognize themselves, for a rich man is even harder to define than a poor one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/perhaps-they-do-not-recognize-themselves-for-a-rich-man-is-even/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

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