Lynn Martin Quotes

Legislating should be done in a manner that is understandable to the governed.

Governments propose, and oppositions dispose.

We are in a democracy, and I think for all issues, whatever matters that the opposition may have apprehension on, there is a forum, and it is called Parliament.

If you present good government, then elections look after themselves.

I was very proud of you and your vote on the McCarran Bill. I wish I could say the same for myself.

Our system of government is protected from the cabal of the few and the confusion of the multitude.

If you love the parliamentary system and are totally devoted to it ... that has to survive above all else, above your own individual thoughts about philosophy.

The essential thing about democracy is that no one is indispensable.

Our fathers waged a bloody conflict with England, because they were taxed without being represented .... They were not willing to be governed by laws which they had no voice in making; but this is the way in which women are governed in this Republic.

All free governments must consist of two councils, a lesser and a greater.

I’m not ready to hand over power to people or groups of people who have no ability to manage a nation.

Free elections are only one part of democracy. Constraint on the power of government and the rule of law and the institutions of democracy are just as important.

Thomas Edison invented a voting machine for legislatures. Politicians hated it. They didn’t want people to know how they voted.

If certain selected bodies of men, deputed on these principles, determine contrary to the wishes and expectations of their constituents, the people have an undoubted right to reject their decisions, to call for a revision of their conduct, to depute others in their room, or if they think proper, to demand further time for deliberation on matters of the greatest moment: …

The Senate is indeed a deliberative body, and that quality serves the nation well. A slow-moving government helps us maintain a stable government. But slow moving is not the same as immobile.

Large sustainable measures are seldom built on slim majorities.

In a parliamentary system, the opposition would make an explicit case against the governing party’s policies and hope that voters shift their support in the next election, But in a non-parliamentary system such as ours, a unified opposition can try something different. It can keep those policies from being implemented, often through means that leave few fingerprints.

The speakership isn't a dictatorship.

Democracy is a self-correcting mechanism.

Democracy needs to be nurtured and treated with care.

Our American history reflects a long-standing tension between people and power. In fact, all government everywhere does. But our American form of government solved the problem, better than most, of moderating this tension between people and power.

Congress is where Americans are supposed to have our big, messy political fights. That's because the people who make the laws need to be hired and fired by the people. Don't like the laws? Fire the lawmakers.

Balance is a good thing - checks and balances are a good thing.

Government is not a game show, though at times it is amusing and entertaining to watch.

I do think a healthy opposition is very necessary in a democracy.