On the record
The wide gift of the elective franchise will be a great calamity to the whole nation, and to those who gain it as great a calamity as to any.
Said by
Walter Bagehot
Source
gutenberg.orgWalter Bagehot: “The wide gift of the elective franchise will be a great calamity to the whole nation, and to those who gain it as great…”
Editor's note · Context
Bagehot argues that expanding the right to vote could lead to significant negative consequences for society.
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More from Walter Bagehot
And again, in political matters, how quickly a leading statesman can change the tone of the community!
The United States could not have become monarchical, even if the Constitutional Convention had decreed it, even if the component States had ratified it.
But as soon as the House met, Lord Thurlow became the greatest.
The moderate people of every party must combine to support the Government which, on the whole, suits every party best.
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