Skip to content

Democracy Quote by Henry David Thoreau

Download Open image
““All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong, with moral questions; and betting naturally accompanies it. The character of the voters is not staked. I cast my vote, perchance, as I think right; but I am not vitally concerned that that right should prevail. I am willing to leave it to the majority. Its obli­gation, therefore, never exceeds that of expediency. Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your desire that it should prevail. A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority.””

Henry David Thoreau

4.5 out of 5 (5 ratings)

More by Henry David Thoreau

Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes

More Democracy quotes

Browse all 11,091 Democracy quotes