The civil service can never be placed on a satisfactory basis until it is regulated by law. James A. Garfield More Quotes by James A. Garfield More Quotes From James A. Garfield Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. James A. Garfield ignorance inspirational character Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. . . . If the next centennial does not find us a great nation . . . it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces. James A. Garfield intelligent ignorance character There are men and women who make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They have the gift of kindness or courage or loyalty or integrity. It really matters very little whether they are behind the wheel of a truck or running a business or bringing up a family. The teach the truth by living it. James A. Garfield loyalty kindness running Whoever controls the volume of money in our country is absolute master of all industry and commerce...when you realize that the entire system is very easily controlled, one way or another, by a few powerful men at the top, you will not have to be told how periods of inflation and depression originate. James A. Garfield money powerful country The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable. James A. Garfield strong-women encouragement teacher A brave man is a man who dares to look the Devil in the face and tell him he is a Devil. James A. Garfield devil bravery men Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained. James A. Garfield teaching education teacher If there is one thing upon this earth that mankind love and admire better than another, it is a brave man, - it is the man who dares to look the devil in the face and tell him he is a devil. James A. Garfield brave integrity men Men are tending to materialism. Houses, lands, and worldly goods attract their attention, and as a mirage lure them on to death. Christianity, on the other hand leads only the natural body to death, and for the spirit, it points out a house not built with hands, eternal in the heavens... Let me urge you to follow Him, not as the Nazarene, the Man of Galilee, the carpenter's son, but as the ever living spiritual person, full of love and compassion, who will stand by you in life and death and eternity. James A. Garfield spiritual men son Poverty is uncomfortable; but nine times out of ten the best thing that can happen to a young man is to be tossed overboard and compelled to sink or swim. James A. Garfield swimming nine men I love agitation and investigation and glory in defending unpopular truth against popular error. James A. Garfield agitation errors politics The divorce between Church and State ought to be absolute. It ought to be so absolute that no Church property anywhere, in any state or in the nation, should be exempt from equal taxation; for if you exempt the property of any church organization, to that extent you impose a tax upon the whole community. James A. Garfield divorce community organization [I]t would be unjust to our people and dangerous to our institutions to apply any portion of revenues of the nation or of the States to the support of sectarian schools. James A. Garfield support people school The chief duty of government is to keep the peace and stand out of the sunshine of the people. James A. Garfield sunshine government people If the power to do hard work is not a skill, it's the best possible substitute for it. James A. Garfield presidential skills work I never meet a ragged boy in the street without feeling that i may owe him a salute, for I know not what possibilities may be buttoned up under his coat. James A. Garfield coats feelings boys The best system of education is that which draws its chief support from the voluntary effort of the community, from the individual efforts of citizens, and from those burdens of taxation which they voluntarily impose upon themselves. James A. Garfield individual-effort support education There can be no permanent disfranchised peasantry in the United States. James A. Garfield united united-states states Coercion is the basis of every law in the universe,--human or divine. A law is not law without coercion behind it. James A. Garfield divine coercion law The return to solid values is always hard... Distress, panic, and hard times have marked our pathway in returning to solid values. James A. Garfield pathways panic hard-times