Rutherford B. Hayes

“Must swear off from swearing. Bad habit.”

“I am not liked as a President by the politicians in office, in the press, or in Congress. But I am content to abide the judgment the sober second thought of the people.”

“I am less disposed to think of a West Point education as requisite for this business than I was at first. Good sense and energy are the qualities required.”

“The unrestricted competition so commonly advocated does not leave us the survival of the fittest. The unscrupulous succeed best in accumulating wealth.”

“It is the desire of the good people of the whole country that sectionalism as a factor in our politics should disappear.”

“I am a radical in thought (and principle) and a conservative in method (and conduct).”

“The real difficulty is with the vast wealth and power in the hands of the few and the unscrupulous who represent or control capital. Hundreds of laws of Congress and the state legislatures are in the interest of these men and against the interests of workingmen. These need to be exposed and repealed. All laws on corporations, on taxation, on trusts, wills, descent, and the like, need examination and extensive change. This is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people no longer. It is a government of corporations, by corporations, and for corporations.”

“The truth is, this being errand boy to one hundred and fifty thousand people tires me so by night I am ready for bed instead of soirees.”

“As friends go it is less important to live.”

“No person connected with me by blood or marriage will be appointed to office.”

“The bold enterprises are the successful ones. Take counsel of hopes rather than of fears to win in this business.”

“The filth and noise of the crowded streets soon destroy the elasticity of health which belongs to the country boy.”

“Virtue is defined to be mediocrity, of which either extreme is vice.”

“Let every man, every corporation, and especially let every village, town, and city, every county and State, get out of debt and keep out of debt. It is the debtor that is ruined by hard times.”

“The independence of all political and other bother is a happiness.”

“Unjust attacks on public men do them more good than unmerited praise.”

“One of the tests of the civilization of people is the treatment of its criminals.”

“Conscience is the authentic voice of God to you.”

“Universal suffrage is sound in principle. The radical element is right.”

“Wars will remain while human nature remains. I believe in my soul in cooperation, in arbitration; but the soldier's occupation we cannot say is gone until human nature is gone.”