The President of the United States of necessity owes his election to office to the suffrage and zealous labors of a political party, the members of which cherish with ardor and regard as of essential importance the principles of their party organization; but he should strive to be always mindful of the fact that he serves his party best who serves the country best.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Hayes states a president is elected by a party but serves the country best when serving the country over party.
- In plain terms
- A president should serve the country best even if it means prioritizing country over party.
- What can you take from it?
- National interest should trump party loyalty in leadership.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you serve country when party demands conflict?
- Can a leader truly transcend party?
Another view
Partisan pressures often make this ideal hard to achieve.
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