Quote by John Adams
The rich, the well-born, and the able, acquire an influence among the people that will soon be too much for simple honesty and plain sense, in a house of representatives. The most illustrious of them must, therefore, be separated from the mass, and placed by themselves in a senate; this is, to all honest and useful intents, an ostracism.
Summary
This quote highlights the concern that individuals belonging to the wealthy, noble, and talented classes tend to gain excessive influence over the general population in a house of representatives. To counterbalance this, the quote suggests that the most distinguished members should be distinguished further and placed in a separate governing body, the senate. This separation is likened to an ostracism, a practice in ancient Greece where popular opinion would exile a powerful figure temporarily. The quote implies that this separation is necessary to ensure honesty and common sense prevail in the legislative process.
By John Adams
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