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To take away voting is to reduce a man to slavery.

Thomas Paine

A Constitution is not the act of a Government, but of a people constituting a government, and a government without a constitution is a power without right.
THOMAS PAINE

Act Constitution Government People Power Right
What is it the Bible teaches us? – raping, cruelty, and murder. What is it the New Testament teaches us? – to believe that the Almighty committed debauchery with a woman engaged to be married, and the belief of this debauchery is called faith.
THOMAS PAINE

Commitment Cruelty Faith Marriage Murder Rape Teaching Woman
For though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.
THOMAS PAINE

Coal Flame Liberty Shine
Practical religion consists in doing good: and the only way of serving God is that of endeavoring to make His creation happy. All preaching that has not this for its object is nonsense and hypocrisy.
THOMAS PAINE

Creation God Goodness Happiness Hypocrisy Practice Service
Government is best which governs least.
THOMAS PAINE

Government Politics Rule
I consider the war of America against Britain as the country’s war, the public’s war, or the war of the people in their own behalf, for the security of their natural rights, and the protection of their own property.
THOMAS PAINE

Country People Property Protection Security War
The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.
THOMAS PAINE

Country Goodness Kind Man Religion World
The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance.
THOMAS PAINE

Fear Power Resistance Strength
A constitution defines and limits the powers of the government it creates. It therefore follows, as a natural and also a logical result, that the governmental exercise of any power not authorized by the constitution is an assumed power, and therefore illegal.
THOMAS PAINE

Constitution Exercise Government Illegal Limitation Logic Natural Power Result
The trade of governing has always been monopolized by the most ignorant and the most rascally individuals of mankind.
THOMAS PAINE

Government Ignorance Kind Man Trade
He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.
THOMAS PAINE

Enemy Establishment Himself Liberty Oppression Reach Security Violate
It is important that we should never lose sight of this distinction. We must not confuse the peoples with their governments.
THOMAS PAINE

Government Important Lose People Sight
Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
THOMAS PAINE

Ignorance Obedience Reason
I have always strenuously supported the right of every man to his own opinion, however different that opinion might be to mine. He who denies to another this right, makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it.
THOMAS PAINE

Change Man Myself Opinion Present Right Slave Support
The Bible is a book that has been read more and examined less than any book that ever existed.
THOMAS PAINE

Book Existence Reading
Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
THOMAS PAINE

Best Evil Government Necessary Oneself Tolerance Worst

To take away voting is to reduce a man to slavery.

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To take away voting is to reduce a man to slavery.

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