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Minorities and Majorities
see also Democracy
- When great changes occur in history, when great principles are involved, as a rule the majority are wrong. The minority are right.1855–1926 American socialist: speech at his trial for sedition in Cleveland, Ohio, 11 September 1918; see Dillon
- The multitude is always in the wrong.c.1633–85 Irish poet and critic: Essay on Translated Verse (1684) l. 183; see Debs, Ibsen
- As for our majority…one is enough.1804–81 British Tory statesman and novelist; Prime Minister 1868, 1874–80: Endymion (1880) ch. 64; now often associated with Churchill
- Nor is the people's judgement always true:
The most may err as grossly as the few.1631–1700 English poet, critic, and dramatist: Absalom and Achitophel (1681) pt. 1, l. 781 - The majority never has right on its side. Never I say! That is one of the social lies that a free, thinking man is bound to rebel against. Who makes up the majority in any given country? Is it the wise men or the fools? I think we must agree that the fools are in a terrible overwhelming majority, all the wide world over. But, damn it, it can surely never be right that the stupid should rule over the clever!1828–1906 Norwegian dramatist: An Enemy of the People (1882) act 4; see Dillon
- All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.1743–1826 American Democratic Republican statesman, 3rd President 1801–9: first inaugural address, 4 March 1801
- Minorities…are almost always in the right.1771–1845 English clergyman and essayist: H. Pearson The Smith of Smiths (1934) ch. 9
