Cyclopædia of Political Science, Political Economy, and the Political History of the United States

ABUSES IN POLITICS

ABUSES IN POLITICS. Abuses are a consequence of human weakness. No form of government, no organization can prevent them altogether. The more ignorant a people, the more frequent abuses are. If, instead of being supposed to know the law, every man really knew it, he would vindicate his rights and obtain justice, in the majority of cases. The fear of having a complaint entered by the injured party would of itself prevent many abuses. Unfortunately there is a certain amount of inertia in us all, which prevents the seeking of reparation, whenever the damage done us is not very great. Sometimes, it is true, we are inspired by a laudable feeling of forbearance when the question is one of fact, and that an isolated one; but when it is a question of principle or of precedent, it is the duty of every man to defend his own rights as well as the rights of those who are injured in his person.

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