Daniel Webster Quotes
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many bad measures.
Webster, Daniel. "The Specie Circular." The Works of Daniel Webster, Vol. 4, Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1851, p. 238.
This is a common phenomenon in most democracies. There are 3 reasons that people vote against their interests. One is that they are fooled by the slickness of particular candidate and/or promises and assurances. Second, their cultural values are offended by the candidate who advocates and will fight for their interests. Third, they have been frightened sufficiently that they will sacrifice their interests if that will protect them. One frequent example is that in America in all wars, many people have voted for the candidate or party who would erode and/or deny their civil rights in the name of national security.
Daniel Webster was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and Millard Fillmore. As one of the most prominent American lawyers of the 19th century, he argued over 200 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court between 1814 and his death in 1852. During his life, he was a member of the Federalist Party, the National Republican Party, and the Whig Party.
