When the doctrine of allegiance to party can utterly up-end a man's moral constitution and make a temporary fool of him besides, what excuse are you going to offer for preaching it, teaching it, extending it, perpetuating it? Shall you say, the best good of the country demands allegiance to party? Shall you also say it demands that a man kick his truth and his conscience into the gutter, and become a mouthing lunatic, besides?
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- When party loyalty overrides personal morals, preaching it becomes hypocritical; it forces people to betray truth and conscience.
- In plain terms
- Blind party allegiance makes people act against their conscience.
- What can you take from it?
- Blind loyalty can corrupt personal integrity.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How can one balance party affiliation with personal values?
- What mechanisms protect conscience in politics?
Another view
The argument presumes all party allegiance is immoral, which may not hold universally.
More from Samuel Langhorne Clemens
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