Dean Acheson Quotes
You can't run this damned county any other way ... than to say politics stops at the seaboard.
Dean Acheson, 1893-1971, U.S. Secretary of State (Democrat), Quoted in Walter Karp, Buried Alive: Essays on Our Endangered Republic, Franklin Square Press, 1993
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Historically in America, the local governments have been the most corrupt. State government somewhat less so, and the Federal Government has statistically, given the number of employees, the lowest proportion of corrupt officials. Even in modern times, there are many local jurisdictions where bribes of building inspectors, zoning officials, health inspectors and police are still common. At the end of the 20th century, for example, every single Kentucky County Commissioners but one was indicted and convicted for accepting bribes and kickbacks. At the federal level, there is much moral corruption with Presidents and members of Congress taking "campaigh contributions" in exchange for access and the ability to influence and even write legislation. The members of Congress wrote the laws so activities that many peopke would see as corrupt was actually legal. Even when the campaign conributions were used to pay "salaries" to the relatives of the member of Congress or he/she added the money to his/her retirement fund.
“Magistrate” historically has had a political meaning of the chief executive of a political entity. Mayors are still referred to as the “Chief Magistrate of the city.” The President is sometimes referred to as the “Chief Magistrate.” Lower magistrates can be political appointees who have power and responsibility for governing as well as judges of courts to whom the term “magistrate” refers in most modern references. The older use of the term harkens back to a time when there was no separation of powers and the assembly was the legislative, executive and judicial powers all at the same time.
“Republicans” then referred to strong opponents of not only monarchy, but opposed a strong Presidency and federal government. The Federalists who supported John Adams for reelection to a 2nd term, were trounced so badly that it was the end of the Federalist Party. Their attacks on Jefferson had been particularly vicious with the hyperpartisanship as bad as in the early years of the 21st century. Jefferson tried to unify the nation with this quotation. It helped but there was still much bitterness.
Everyone who is employed owes the employer some degree of loyalty and cannot give his public opinion on an issue if it differs from the candidate or party that employees him. This is why it is so important if a Democrat criticizes Democrats or a Republican criticizes Republicans.
Dean Gooderham Acheson was an American statesman and lawyer. As United States Secretary of State in the administration of President Harry S. Truman from 1949 to 1953, he played a central role in defining American foreign policy during the Cold War. Acheson helped design the Marshall Plan and was a key player in the development of the Truman Doctrine and creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
