--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our government is built upon the vote…" description: "\"Our government is built upon the vote. But votes that are purchasable are quicksands, and a government built on them stands upon corruption and revolut..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/henry-ward-beecher-175_built_our-government-is-built-upon-the-vote-bu_1275461.png" --- # Our government is built upon the vote. But votes that are… ![“Our government is built upon the vote. But votes that are purchasable are quicksands, and a government built on them stands upon corruption and revolution.” quote by Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/henry-ward-beecher-175_built_our-government-is-built-upon-the-vote-bu_1275461.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/henry-ward-beecher-175_built_our-government-is-built-upon-the-vote-bu_1275461.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/henry-ward-beecher-175_built_our-government-is-built-upon-the-vote-bu_1275461.png) > “Our government is built upon the vote. But votes that are purchasable are quicksands, and a government built on them stands upon corruption and revolution.” [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When votes are bought, government rests on instability, leading to corruption and revolt. **In simple terms:** Bought votes cause corrupt, unstable government. Key Takeaway Guard electoral integrity to prevent unrest. Themes politics corruption democracy Mood serious urgent Type political advice When to use this quote - campaign finance reform - civic education - transparent voting systems Key Concepts electoral ethics social stability Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can protect voting? - How does money influence policy decisions? A Different Perspective Changing entrenched systems is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) [Built Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built-vote-4103874/) [Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-built-852473/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Quicksand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quicksand/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) [Votes Purchasable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/votes-purchasable-4103875/) ## Related quotes > [The government built the grid to favor one industry over others. But I don't hear any conservatives screaming about that. Folks don't understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-government-built-the-grid-to-favor-one-industry-over-others-but-i/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I created jobs. Russ Feingold, during that same approximate 30 years, what did he do? He built government. He built it larger and more intrusive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/i-created-jobs-russ-feingold-during-that-same-approximate-30-years/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [My advice to the tea party freshmen: Slow the galloping horses to a trot. Big government was built over decades; it can't be dismantled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/my-advice-to-the-tea-party-freshmen-slow-the-galloping-horses-to-a/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [It is curious that people tend to regard government as a quasi-divine, selfless, Santa Claus organization. Government was constructed neither for ability nor for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-curious-that-people-tend-to-regard-government-as-a-quasi-divine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The foundation on which (our government is) built is the natural equality of man, the denial of every pre-eminence but that annexed to legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-foundation-on-which-our-government-is-built-is-the-natural/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Trust in our government is built on transparency and faith in the rule of law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-phillips/trust-in-our-government-is-built-on-transparency-and-faith-in-the/) [Dean Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-phillips/) > [“Supposedly, the government is in the process of saving us from terrorists. No one has quite figured out who is going to save us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-rose/supposedly-the-government-is-in-the-process-of-saving-us-from/) [Doug Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-rose/) > [What if the government built this thing? I doubt it. Why? Cause it works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-if-the-government-built-this-thing-i-doubt-it-why-cause-it-works/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Astronomers have built telescopes which can show myriads of stars unseen before; but when a man looks through a tear in his own eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/astronomers-have-built-telescopes-which-can-show-myriads-of-stars/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [At last you kissed me, I could die in waves again, and one good lick of quicksand took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mchugh/at-last-you-kissed-me-i-could-die-in-waves-again-and-one-good-lick-of/) [Heather McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mchugh/) > [“Islanzadi sighed, and suddenly appeared tired. “Ormomis may have been your proper teacher, but you have proved yourself to be Brom’s heir, not Oromis’s.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/islanzadi-sighed-and-suddenly-appeared-tired-ormomis-may-have-been/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [You should climb around inside my brain, Dan. It's like this dark room surrounded by quicksand." "I know what you mean," her brother said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lerangis/you-should-climb-around-inside-my-brain-dan-it-s-like-this-dark-room/) [Peter Lerangis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lerangis/) > [The boys had asked why, if it acted slowly, was it called quicksand. The Mollusks had replied that, as far as they were concerned,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-pearson/the-boys-had-asked-why-if-it-acted-slowly-was-it-called-quicksand-the/) [Ridley Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-pearson/) > [So there you have it: Nature is a rotten mess. But that's only the beginning. If you take your eyes off it for one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-goldberg/so-there-you-have-it-nature-is-a-rotten-mess-but-that-s-only-the/) [Lee Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-goldberg/) ## More by Henry Ward Beecher > [Astronomers have built telescopes which can show myriads of stars unseen before; but when a man looks through a tear in his own eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/astronomers-have-built-telescopes-which-can-show-myriads-of-stars/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [A lie always needs a truth for a handle to it. The worst lies are those whose blade is false, but whose handle is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/a-lie-always-needs-a-truth-for-a-handle-to-it-the-worst-lies-are/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Even a liar tells a hundred truths to one lie; he has to, to make the lie good for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/even-a-liar-tells-a-hundred-truths-to-one-lie-he-has-to-to-make-the/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Laws are not masters but servants, and he rules them who obey them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/laws-are-not-masters-but-servants-and-he-rules-them-who-obey-them/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Our sweetest experiences of affection are meant to be suggestions of that realm which is the home of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/our-sweetest-experiences-of-affection-are-meant-to-be-suggestions-of/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [In America there is not one single element of civilization that is not made to depend, in the end, upon public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/in-america-there-is-not-one-single-element-of-civilization-that-is/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The best lessons a man ever learns are from his mistakes. It is not for want of schoolmasters that we are still ignorant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/the-best-lessons-a-man-ever-learns-are-from-his-mistakes-it-is-not/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest who complained of bad luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/i-never-knew-an-early-rising-hard-working-prudent-man-careful-of-his/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [THERE are joys which long to be ours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/there-are-joys-which-long-to-be-ours/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [People may talk about the equality of the sexes! They are not equal. The silent smile of a sensible, loving woman will vanquish ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/people-may-talk-about-the-equality-of-the-sexes-they-are-not-equal/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Mirthfulness is in the mind and you cannot get it out. It is just as good in its place as conscience or veneration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/mirthfulness-is-in-the-mind-and-you-cannot-get-it-out-it-is-just-as/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Mirth is God's medicine. Everybody ought to bathe in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/mirth-is-god-s-medicine-everybody-ought-to-bathe-in-it/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Some of God's noblest sons, I think, will be selected from those that know how to take wealth, with all its temptations, and maintain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/some-of-god-s-noblest-sons-i-think-will-be-selected-from-those-that/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [You have seen a ship out on the bay, swinging with the tide, and seeming as if it would follow it; and yet it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/you-have-seen-a-ship-out-on-the-bay-swinging-with-the-tide-and/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) [Explore all 990 Henry Ward Beecher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) ## More Built quotes > [It's really fun and challenging to build things that have never been built before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/it-s-really-fun-and-challenging-to-build-things-that-have-never-been/) [Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/) > [Astronomers have built telescopes which can show myriads of stars unseen before; but when a man looks through a tear in his own eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/astronomers-have-built-telescopes-which-can-show-myriads-of-stars/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/) [Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/) [Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/) > [Call me the rap assassinator / rhymes rugged and built like Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raekwon/call-me-the-rap-assassinator-rhymes-rugged-and-built-like/) [Raekwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raekwon/) > [Do we make ourselves into what we become or is it built into our genes, into the fate spun for us by whatever shapes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/do-we-make-ourselves-into-what-we-become-or-is-it-built-into-our/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. This Dark Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-dark-ages-still-reign-over-all-humanity-and-the-depth-and/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [God and I have built an immense fire together. We keep each other happy and warm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafez/god-and-i-have-built-an-immense-fire-together-we-keep-each-other/) [Hafez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafez/) > [When we built Roomba, we explicitly designed it to not have a face. We didn't want to think it was cute; we wanted people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-angle/when-we-built-roomba-we-explicitly-designed-it-to-not-have-a-face-we/) [Colin Angle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-angle/) > [Winning a competition in architecture is a ticket to oblivion. It's just an idea. Ninety-nine per cent never get built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-libeskind/winning-a-competition-in-architecture-is-a-ticket-to-oblivion-it-s/) [Daniel Libeskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-libeskind/) > [Good churches are not built by bad men; at least, there must be probity and enthusiasm somewhere in the society. These minsters were neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/good-churches-are-not-built-by-bad-men-at-least-there-must-be-probity/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Mostly what I'm focused on is finding people who are younger who haven't built companies before but have a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hughes/mostly-what-i-m-focused-on-is-finding-people-who-are-younger-who/) [Chris Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hughes/) > [“Imagine what I could have done in ten years. I could have learned to speak Japanese. I could have played every RPG video game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/imagine-what-i-could-have-done-in-ten-years-i-could-have-learned-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,164 Built quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our government is built upon the vote. But votes that are purchasable are quicksands, and a government built on them stands upon corruption and revolution.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Ward Beecher" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/our-government-is-built-upon-the-vote-but-votes-that-are-purchasable/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Built" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/our-government-is-built-upon-the-vote-but-votes-that-are-purchasable/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/henry-ward-beecher-175_built_our-government-is-built-upon-the-vote-bu_1275461.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/henry-ward-beecher-175_built_our-government-is-built-upon-the-vote-bu_1275461.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/henry-ward-beecher-175_built_our-government-is-built-upon-the-vote-bu_1275461.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our government is built upon the vote. But votes that are purchasable are quicksands, and a government built…” — Henry Ward Beecher", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry Ward Beecher", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our government is built upon the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/our-government-is-built-upon-the-vote-but-votes-that-are-purchasable/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/our-government-is-built-upon-the-vote-but-votes-that-are-purchasable/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```