Quotes about Corruption

London! the needy villain's general home, The common sewer of Paris and of Rome! With eager thirst, by folly or by fate, Sucks in the dregs of each corrupted state.

When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned.

There is no praise in being upright, where no one can, or tries to corrupt you.

Lay then the axe to the root, and teach governments humanity. It is their sanguinary punishments which corrupt mankind.

The lack of money is the root of all evil.

We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.

The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.

It is no strange thing, to those who look into the nature of corrupted man, to find a violent persecutor a perfect unbeliever of his own creed.

I was, indeed, aware that a jealous, ever-waking vigilance, to guard the treasure of our liberty, not only from invasion, but from decay and corruption, was our best wisdom and our first duty.

Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, may, by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests, of the people.

An avaricious man might be tempted to betray the interests of the state for the acquisition of wealth.

Men of this class, whether the favorites of a king or of a people, have in too many instances abused the confidence they possessed; and assuming the pretext of some public motive, have not scrupled to sacrifice the national tranquillity to personal advantage or personal gratification.