Political Quotes

Teddy Roosevelt: “Under the higher law, under the great law of morality and righteousness, he is precisely as guilty if, instead of lying…”

On the recordJanuary 1, 1900
Under the higher law, under the great law of morality and righteousness, he is precisely as guilty if, instead of lying in a court, he lies in a newspaper or on the stump; and in all probability the evil effects of his conduct are infinitely more wide-spread and more pernicious.
Said by
Teddy Roosevelt
Republican · New York

Editor's note · Context

This passage, from an essay on public ethics, argues that lying in public discourse, such as in newspapers or speeches, carries the same moral guilt and potentially greater harm than perjury in court.

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