Bribery Quotes

• Our form of democracy is bribery, on the highest scale.

  Gore Vidal

  Democracy, Politics, Form

  FaceBook post by Gore Vidal from May 21, 2014

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• Honesty stands at the gate and knocks, and bribery enters in.

  Barnabe Rich

  Honesty, Gates

  27 Copy quote

• But there will be no justice, there will be no government of the people, by the people, and for the people, as long as the government and its officials permit bribery in any form.

  John Jay Hooker

  Government, Justice, Long

  49 Copy quote

• Though the bribe be small, yet the fault is great.

  Edward Coke

  Faults, Bribe

  Sir Edward Coke (1797). “Institutes of the laws of England: containg the exposition of many ancient and other statutes ...”, p.147

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• Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.

  George Washington

  Inspirational, Leadership, Honesty

  George Washington, Jared Sparks (1834). “The Writings of George Washington: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private, Selected and Published from the Original Manuscripts”, p.324

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• You could not bribe honest people, but bad people would accept bribery.

  Anne Holm

  People, Honest, Accepting

  Anne Holm (1965). “North to freedom”

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• Laws are a fine thing on paper, but painful when no bribery can ease their bind.

  Paolo Bacigalupi

  Law, Ease, Paper

  "The Windup Girl". Book by Paolo Bacigalupi, 2009.

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• It is a great mistake to suppose that bribery and corruption, although they may be very convenient for gratifying the ambition or the vanity of individuals, have any great effect upon the fortunes or the power of parties. And it is a great mistake to suppose that bribery and corruption are means by which power can either be ob-tained or retained.

  Benjamin Disraeli

  Mistake, Party, Mean

  Benjamin Disraeli (Earl of Beaconsfield) (1886). “Wit and Wisdom of Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield: Collected from His Writings and Speeches”

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• In my opinion it is less shameful for a king to be overcome by force of arms than by bribery.

  Sallust

  Kings, Overcoming, Arms

  17 Copy quote

• By gold all good faith has been banished; by gold our rights are abused; the law itself is influenced by gold, and soon there will be an end of every modest restraint.

  Propertius

  Rights, Law, Gold

  "Elegies, III". Book by Sextus Propertius, c. 24 B.C.

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• If bribery is good enough for Congress, it's good enough for me.

  Eddie Griffin

  Good Enough, Congress, Ifs

  18 Copy quote

• [the downfall of our political system is the] buying and selling of politicians...bribery. In the private sector, you're arrested for it. In the public sector, it's the norm.

  Jesse Ventura

  Political, Buying, Politician

  7 Copy quote

• Do not accept gifts; [because] that is bribery.

  Umar

  Accepting

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• In the last few years, the very idea of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is dredged up only as a final resort when the alternative options of deception, threat and bribery have all been exhausted.

  Michael Musto

  Years, Ideas, Deception

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• I don't think it's bribery; I think it's extortion. Bribery, you know, is when the person that's giving the money does it voluntarily. What it is in Washington is extortion because they all ask for the money.

  John McCain

  Thinking, Giving, Political

  8 Copy quote

• Judges and senates have been bought for gold; Esteem and love were never to be sold.

  Alexander Pope

  Judging, Gold, And Love

  Alexander Pope, John Wilson Croker (1871). “The Works: Including Several Hundred Unpublished Letters, and Other New Materials”, p.442

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• Blackmail is more effective than bribery.

  John le Carre

  Blackmail

  "Smiley's People". Book by John le Carre, November 1979.

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• Between friends there is no bribery. ... the relationship of friends is intrinsically fair and equal. Neither feels stronger or more clever or more beautiful than the other.

  Margaret Mead

  Friends, Beautiful, Clever

  14 Copy quote

• All those men have their price.

  Robert Walpole

  Men, Political, Politics

  Quoted in William Coxe Memoirs of Sir Robert Walpole (1798).

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• No mortal thing can bear so high a price, But that with mortal thing it may be bought.

  Walter Raleigh

  Bears, May, Mortals

  Sir Walter Raleigh, Thomas Birch, William Oldys (1829). “Miscellaneous works”, p.715

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• Tis pleasant purchasing our fellow-creatures; And all are to be sold, if you consider Their passions, and are dext'rous; some by features Are brought up, others by a warlike leader; Some by a place--as tend their years or natures; The most by ready cash--but all have prices, From crowns to kicks, according to their vices.

  Lord Byron

  Passion, Years, Leader

  10 Copy quote

• There is thy gold, worse poison to men's souls, Doing more murder in this loathsome world, Than these poor compounds that thou mayst not sell.

  William Shakespeare

  Men, Soul, Gold

  Aidan Coleman, Shane Barnes, William Shakespeare (2008). “Romeo and Juliet”, p.133, Insight Publications

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• There are many hands touching ballots after a voter drops his ballot into the ballot box. There is no guarantee of ballot secrecy for anyone, which makes the whole system vulnerable to intimidation and bribery.

  Bob Schaffer

  Hands, Touching, Voters

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• Alas! the small discredit of a bribe Scarce hurts the lawyer, but undoes the scribe.

  Alexander Pope

  Hurt, Lawyer, Scribes

  Alexander Pope, Alexander Dyce (1835). “The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope: Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, being the prologue to the satires. Satires, epistles, and odes of Horace imitated. Epitaphs. The Dunciad, in four books”, p.111

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• Our supple tribes repress their patriot throats, And ask no questions but the price of votes.

  Samuel Johnson

  Tribes, Vote, Patriot

  Oliver Goldsmith, Tobias Smollett, Samuel Johnson, William Shenstone (1861). “Poetical Works of Oliver Goldsmith, Tobias Smollett, Samuel Johnson and William Shenstone”

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