Harry s. truman quotes

A man who is influenced by the polls or is afraid to make decisions which make him unpopular is not a man to represent the welfare of the country.

We must remember that the test of our religious principles lies not just in what we say, not only in our prayers, not even in living blameless lives - but in what we do for others

You cannot get all the facts from just one newspaper, and unless you have the facts, you cannot make proper judgments about what is going on.

The fundamental basis of this nation’s laws was given to Moses on the Mount…If we don’t have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the State.

The best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.

When you can't do any housecleaning because everything that goes on is a damned secret, then we're on our way to something the Founding Fathers didn't have in mind. Secrecy and a free, democratic government don't mix.

There are always a lot of people so afraid of rocking the boat that they stop rowing. We can never get ahead that way.

If you don't have your own goals, you'll be doomed to work toward someone else's.

For some time I have been disturbed by the way the CIA has been diverted from its original assignment. It has become an operational and at times a policy making arm of the government.

I want a one-armed economist, that way he cannot say, 'on the other hand'.

You should never form judgments from front page headlines. As with a contract, the fine print on the inside pages should be carefully studied.

[T]he guilty as well as the innocent are entitled to due process of law. They are entitled to a fair trial. They are entitled to counsel. They are entitled to fair treatment from the police. The law enforcement officer has the same duty as the citizen-indeed, he has a higher duty-to abide by the letter and spirit of our Constitution and laws. You yourselves must be careful to obey the letter of the law. You yourselves must be intellectually honest in the enforcement of the law.

The responsibility of the great states is to serve, and not to dominate, the world.

Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time.

To be able to lead others, a man must be willing to go forward alone.

Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for the real Republican all the time

No man should be allowed to be President who does not understand hogs.

Of course I believe in free enterprise but in my system of free enterprise, the democratic principle is that there never was, never has been, never will be, room for the ruthless exploitation of the many for the benefit of the few.

A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.

The Republicans believe in the minimum wage -- the more the minimum, the better.

The fundamental basis of this Nation's law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings which we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul.

Tact is the ability to step on a man's toes without messing up the shine on his shoes.

Three things ruin a man: power, money, and women. I never wanted power. I never had any money, and the only woman in my life is up at the house right now.

Experience has shown how deeply the seeds of war are planted by economic rivalry and social injustice.

Without a strong educational system — free of government control — democracy is crippled. Knowledge is not only the key to power. It is the citadel of human freedom.

America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.

Some of my best friends never agree with me politically.

Secrecy and a free, democratic government don't mix.

When the Liberals said they were going to create a million new jobs, I didn't think they were all going to be tax collectors. If you can't convince them, confuse them.

There is some risk involved in action, there always is. But there is far more risk in failure to act.

I never would have agreed to the formulation of the Central Intelligence Agency back in forty-seven, if I had known it would become the American Gestapo.

It's not the hand that signs the laws that holds the destiny of America. It's the hand that casts the ballot.

Give me a one-handed economist! All my economists say, On the one hand on the other.

Every segment of our population, and every individual, has a right to expect from his government a fair deal.

Dictatorship, by whatever name, is founded on the doctrine that the individual amounts to nothing; that the State is the only one that counts; and that men and women and children were put on earth solely for the purpose of serving the state.

I do not believe there is a problem in this country or the world today which could not be settled if approached through the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount.

A President needs political understanding to run the government, but he may be elected without it.

I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.

We must have strong minds, ready to accept facts as they are.

If you can't beat 'em, confuse 'em.

Washington is a very easy city for you to forget where you came from and why you got there in the first place.

Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.

Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction.

Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.

I remember when I first came to Washington. For the first six months you wonder how the hell you ever got here. For the next six months you wonder how the hell the rest of them ever got here.

There is no more fundamental axiom of American freedom than the familiar statement: In a free country we punish men for the crimes they commit but never for the opinions they have.

The most peaceful thing in the world is plowing a field. Chances are you’ll do your best thinking that way. And that’s why I’ve always thought and said, farmers are the smartest people in the world, they don’t go for high hats and they can spot a phony a mile off.

Always be sincere, even if you don't mean it.

If you can't convince them, confuse them.

Work Hard. Do your best. Keep your word. Never get too big for your britches. Trust in God. Have no fear; and Never forget a friend.

When even one American - who has done nothing wrong - is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth - then all Americans are in peril.

The human race has reached a turning point. Man has opened the secrets of nature and mastered new powers. If he uses them wisely, he can reach new heights of civilization. If he uses them foolishly, they may destroy him. Man must create the moral and legal framework for the world which will insure that his new powers are used for good and not for evil.

When the decision is up before you-and on my desk I have a motto which says "The buck stops here"-the decision has to be made.

When you have to deal with a beast, you have to treat him as a beast. It is most regrettable but nevertheless true.

Why, this fellow doesn't know any more about politics than a pig knows about Sunday.

The United States should not under any circumstances throw away our gun until we are sure the rest of the world cannot arm against us.

Democracy maintains that government is established for the benefit of the individual, and is charged with the responsibility of protecting the individual, and is charged with the responsibility of protecting the rights of the individual and his freedom in the exercise of his abilities. Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with reason and justice.

The Republican party still helps the rich and sticks a knife in the back of the poor.

I don't believe in anti-anything. A man has to have a program; you have to be for something. Otherwise, you will never get anywhere.

A leader has to lead otherwise he has no business in politics.

All the president is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing, and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway.

When contemplating General Eisenhower winning the Presidential election, Truman said, Hell sit here, and hell say, Do this! Do that! And nothing will happen. Poor Ikeit wont be a bit like the Army. Hell find it very frustrating.

Everybody has the right to express what he thinks. That, of course, lets the crackpots in. But if you cannot tell a crackpot when you see one, then you ought to be taken in.

A leader is the man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don't want to do, and like it.

Some day we'll awake, have a reformation of the heart, teach our kids honor and kill a few sex psychologists, put boys in high schools with men teachers (not sissies), close all the girls' finishing schools, shoot all the effeciency experts and become a nation of God's people once more.

If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog.

Nothing is more important in our national life than the welfare of our children.

Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it.

About the meanest thing you can say about a man is that he means well.

The most peaceful thing in the world is plowing a field. Chances are you’ll do your best thinking that way.

I can remember when a good politician had to be 75 percent ability and 25 percent actor, but I can well see the day when the reverse could be true.

The 'C' students run the world.

A society will be judged by how it treats its weakest members

The United States has become great because we, as a people, have been able to work together for great objectives even while differing about details.

The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know.

Divine Providence has played a great part in our history. I have the feeling that God has created us and brought us to our present position of power and strength for some great purpose. It is not given to us to know fully what that purpose is, but I think we may be sure of one thing, and that is that our country is intended to do all it can, in cooperating with other nations to help created peace and preserve peace in the world. It is given to defend the spiritual values-the moral code-against the vast forces of evil that seek to destroy them.

A president either is constantly on top of events or, if he hesitates, events will soon be on top of him. I never felt that I could let up for a moment.

We should resolve now that the health of this nation is a national concern; that financial barriers in the way of attaining health shall be removed; that the health of all it's citizens deserves the help of all the nation.

Selfishness and greed, individual or national, cause most of our troubles.

The only things worth learning are the things you learn after you know it all.

Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.

I think one man is just as good as another so long as he's not a n*gger or a Chinaman. Uncle Will says that the Lord made a White man from dust, a n*gger from mud, then He threw up what was left and it came down a Chinaman. He does hate Chinese and Japs. So do I. It is race prejudice, I guess. But I am strongly of the opinion Negroes ought to be in Africa, Yellow men in Asia and White men in Europe and America.

Ignorance and its hand-maidens, prejudice, intolerance, suspicion of our fellowman, breed dictators and breed wars.

Of course, there are dangers in religious freedom and freedom of opinion. But to deny these rights is worse than dangerous, it is absolutely fatal to liberty.

It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a depression when you lose yours.

An honest public servant can't become rich in politics. He can only attain greatness and satisfaction by service.

It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.

My favorite animal is the mule. He has more horse sense than a horse. He knows when to stop eating - and he knows when to stop working.

I come to the office each morning and stay for long hours doing what has to be done to the best of my ability. And when you've done the best you can, you can't do any better.

Human life is something that comes to us from beyond this world, and the purpose of our society is to cherish it and to enable the individual to attain the highest achievement of which he is capable

I think there is an immense shortage of Christian charity among so-called Christians.

Religious and racial persecution is moronic at all times, perhaps the most idiotic of human stupidities.

You know that being an American is more than a matter of where your parents came from. It is a belief that all men are created free and equal and that everyone deserves an even break.

I sincerely regret the unfortunate choice of language which I used in my letter of August 29 to Congressman McDonough concerning the Marine Corps.

I wonder how far Moses would have gone if he had taken a poll in Egypt? What would Jesus Christ have preached if He had taken a poll in the land of Israel? Where would the Reformation have gone if Martin Luther had taken a poll? It isn't polls or public opinion alone of the moment that counts.

We all have to recognise - no matter how great our strength - that we must deny ourselves the licence to do always as we please.

Those who want the Government to regulate matters of the mind and spirit are like men who are so afraid of being murdered that they commit suicide to avoid assassination.

Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day.

He "wasn't used to being criticized, and he never did get it through his head that's what politics is all about. He was used to getting his ass kissed."

Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.

Nixon is one of the few in the history of this country to run for high office talking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time and lying out of both sides.

My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. To tell the truth, there's hardly a difference.

I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have in it now. I believe it has a glorious future before it - not just another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization.

The difficulty with businessmen entering politics, after they've had a successful business career, is that they want to start at the top.

I have little patience with people who take the Bill of Rights for granted. The Bill of Rights, contained in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, is every American's guarantee of freedom.

Such an atmosphere is un-American, the most un-American thing we have to contend with today. It is the climate of a totalitarian country in which scientists are expected to change their theories to match changes in the police state's propaganda line.

The President is always abused. If he isn't, he isn't doing anything.

I couldn't see well enough to play (baseball) when I was a boy, so they gave me a special job - they made me an umpire.

I wonder how many times you have to be hit on the head before you find out who's hitting you? It's about time that the people of America realized what the Republicans have been doing to them.

The atom bomb was no “great decision.” It was used in the war, and for your information, there were more people killed by fire bombs in Tokyo than dropping of the atomic bombs accounted for. It was merely another powerful weapon in the arsenal of righteousness. The dropping of the bombs stopped the war, save millions of lives.

Whenever you put a man on the Supreme Court he ceases to be your friend.

Of course, there are dangers in religious freedom and freedom of opinion. But to deny these rights is worse than dangerous, it is absolutely fatal to liberty. The external threat to liberty should not drive us into suppressing liberty at home. Those who want the government to regulate matters of the mind and spirit are like men who are so afraid of being murdered that they commit suicide to avoid assassination.

It doesn't matter how big a ranch you own or how many cows you brand, the size of your funeral is still gonna depend on the weather.

If we do not abolish war on this earth, then surely one day war will abolish us from the earth.

Herbert Hoover once ran on the slogan, 'Two cars in every garage'. Apparently, the Republican candidate this year is running on the slogan, 'Two families in every garage'.

If you want to live like a Republican, you've got to vote for a Democrat.

Whenever the press quits abusing me I know Im in the wrong pew. I dont mind it because when they throw bricks at meIm a pretty good shot myself and I usually throw em back at em.

We must never forget that this coutry was founded by men who came to these shores to worship God as they pleased. Catholics, Jews, and Protestants, all came here for this great purpose. They did not come here to do as they pleased - but to worship God as they pleased, and that is an important distinction.

The Jews, I find, are very, very selfish. They care not how many Estonians, Latvians, Finns, Poles, Yugoslavs or Greeks get murdered or mistreated as Displaced Persons as long as the Jews get special treatment. Yet when they have power, physical, financial or political neither Hitler nor Stalin has anything on them for cruelty or mistreatment to the under dog. Put an underdog on top and it makes no difference whether his name is Russian, Jewish, Negro, Management, Labor, Mormon, Baptist he goes haywire. I've found very, very few who remember their past condition when prosperity comes.

Any story worth telling is worth exaggerating.

A politician is a man who understands government, and it takes a politician to run a government. A statesman is a politician who's been dead 10 or 15 years.

Term limits would cure both senility and seniority- both terrible legislative diseases.

If we see that Germany is winning we ought to help Russia and if Russia is winning we ought to help Germany, and that way let them kill as many as possible.

An optimist is presented with a problem and sees an opportunity. A pessimist is presented with an opportunity and sees a problem.

Carry the battle to them. Don't let them bring it to you. Put them on the defensive and don't ever apologize for anything.