"Our experience has shown us that in the excitement of great popular elections, deciding the policy of the country, and its vast patronage, frauds will be committed, if a chance is given for them. If these frauds are allowed, the result is not only that the popular will may be defeated, and the result falsified, but that the worst side will prevail. The side which has the greater number of dishonest men will poll the most votes. The war cry, "Vote early and vote often!" and the familiar problem, "how to cast the greatest number of votes with the smallest number of voters", indicate the direction in which the dangers lie."
by:
Richard Henry Dana, Jr.
(1815-1882) American lawyer, politician from Massachusetts
Source:
The British newspaper The Times of 27 August 1859 printed a letter about the use of the ballot for voting in the United States, written by Richard Henry Dana, Jr. to his friend Lord Radstock
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Reader comments about this quote:
I'm not quite sure how to rate this, 5 stars for accuracy or a thumb's down because it is so accurate (and the effect on the innocent). The current affairs concerning mail in voting is an example of the here quote (especially vote early and often). The graft, corruption and out right fraud of the current election is identified by the quote.


 -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Good Lord, we are in for a wild ride  10 days to go.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    A quick thought was the over 1.5 million inactive voters (dead, moved away, never existed, multiples, etc.) removed from the ballot in Los Angeles just before the 2020 election. (-; got to love the socialist's voter fraud ;-)
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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     -- Ronw13, ID      
    Voting in general has a childish manner to it. It's the unreasonable consensus dictating the path. Forward ideas start with a seed as growing items typically begin. The individual with the invention has turned away from the consensus and examined their own heart and soul and is effective in this route because that is where nature resides to which the consensus utterly reject. For nature is, as it seems, never fashionable, but always functional.
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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