The old terms are kept up, to give an appearance of consequence to empty forms; and the only effect they have is that of increasing expenses.
Thomas Paine: “The old terms are kept up, to give an appearance of consequence to empty forms; and the only effect they have is that of…”
Editor's note · Context
Paine criticizes the retention of obsolete political terms, arguing they serve only to inflate the perceived importance of empty forms and increase public expenditure.
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