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Theodore Roosevelt Quotes - Page 3

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Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt
Love, Inspirational, Life
Speech to Hamilton Club, Chicago, Ill., 10 Apr. 1899 See Theodore Roosevelt 1; Theodore Roosevelt 2; Theodore Roosevelt 18

Most of us tiptoe through life in order to make it safely to death.

Theodore Roosevelt
Order, Tiptoes

The United States does not have a choice as to whether or not is will or will not play a great part in the world. Fate has made that choice for us. The only question is whether we will play the part well or badly.

Theodore Roosevelt
Fate, Play, Choices

These international bankers and Rockefeller Standard Oil interests control the majority of newspapers and the columns of these papers to club into submission or drive out of public office officials who refuse to do the bidding of the powerful corrupt cliques which compose the invisible government.

Theodore Roosevelt
Powerful, Government, Oil

A man who is good enough to shed his blood for the country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.

Theodore Roosevelt
Country, Men, Squares
Speech, Springfield, Ill., 4 July 1903 See Theodore Roosevelt 12

A typical vice of American politics is the avoidance of saying anything real on real issues.

Theodore Roosevelt
Real, Patriotic, Issues

With great victory comes great sacrifice.

Theodore Roosevelt
Sacrifice, Victory, Great Victory

Our government, National and State, must be freed from the sinister influence or control of special interests. Exactly as the special interests of cotton and slavery threatened our political integrity before the Civil War, so now the great special business interests too often control and corrupt the men and methods of government for their own profit. We must drive the special interests out of politics.

Theodore Roosevelt
Integrity, War, Men
Theodore Roosevelt (1975). “The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt: Condensed from the Original Ed., Supplemented by Letters, Speeches, and Other Writings, and Edited with an Introd. by Wayne Andrews”, Octagon Press, Limited

A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.

Theodore Roosevelt
Bible, Christian, Education
"Stepping Stone : The Complete Bible Narratives". Book by John Thomas Clark, 1941.

Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.

Theodore Roosevelt
Country, Nature, Children
Theodore Roosevelt (2015). “Theodore Roosevelt on Bravery: Lessons from the Most Courageous Leader of the Twentieth Century”, p.42, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.

Theodore Roosevelt
Country, Patriotic, Years
Theodore Roosevelt (1921). “Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star: War-time Editorials”

To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.

Theodore Roosevelt
Criticism, Important, President
Theodore Roosevelt (1954). “1914-1919”

Get action. Do things; be sane; don't fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action.

Theodore Roosevelt
Action, Sane, Wherever You Are
Theodore Roosevelt, Eugene Thwing (1919). “The life and meaning of Theodore Roosevelt”

No greater wrong can ever be done than to put a good man at the mercy of a bad, while telling him not to defend himself or his fellows; in no way can the success of evil be made surer or quicker.

Theodore Roosevelt
Men, Evil, Good Man
Theodore Roosevelt (1894). “From the Alleghanies to the Mississippi, 1769-1776 - - v. 2. From the Alleghanies to the Mississippi, 1777-1783”, U of Nebraska Press

It is the people, and not the judges, who are entitled to say what their constitution means, for the constitution is theirs, it belongs to them and not to their servants in office—any other theory is incompatible with the foundation principles of our government.

Theodore Roosevelt
Mean, Government, People
William L. Ransom, Theodore Roosevelt (2007). “Majority Rule and the Judiciary: An Examination of Current Proposals for Constitutional Change Affecting the Relation of Courts to Legislation”, p.6, The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.

We must diligently strive to make our young men decent, God-fearing, law-abiding, honor-loving, justice-doing and also fearless and strong.

Theodore Roosevelt
Strong, War, Men

No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it.

Theodore Roosevelt
Patriotic, Men, Asking Permission
Third Annual Message to Congress, 7 Dec. 1903. "No one is above the law" appears in the U.S. Supreme Court case Mississippi v. Johnson (1867) (arguments of counsel). Even earlier, "no officer ... is above the law" is found in a Kentucky Supreme Court case, Johnston v. Commonwealth (1809).

A soft, easy life is not worth living, if it impairs the fibre of brain and heart and muscle. We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage... For us is the life of action, of strenuous performance of duty; let us live in the harness, striving mightily; let us rather run the risk of wearing out than rusting out.

Theodore Roosevelt
Running, Heart, Sacrifice
Theodore Roosevelt (1926). “The Works of Theodore Roosevelt”

I believe that the officers, and, especially, the directors, of corporations should be held personally responsible when any corporation breaks the law.

Theodore Roosevelt
Believe, Law, Directors
Theodore Roosevelt (1910). “The New Nationalism”, Best Books on

Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

Theodore Roosevelt
Inspirational, Life, Motivational
"A Square Deal". Theodore Roosevelt's speech to farmers at the New York State Agricultural Association in Syracuse, New York, September 7, 1903.

No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his well-being, to risk his body, to risk his life, in a great cause.

Theodore Roosevelt
Leadership, Men, Risk
Theodore Roosevelt (2015). “Theodore Roosevelt on Bravery: Lessons from the Most Courageous Leader of the Twentieth Century”, p.78, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

This country has nothing to fear from the crooked man who fails. We put him in jail. It is the crooked man who succeeds who is a threat to this country.

Theodore Roosevelt
Country, Men, Jail
Theodore Roosevelt, Paul H. Jeffers (1998). “The Bully Pulpit: A Teddy Roosevelt Book of Quotations”, p.72, Taylor Trade Publications

If we lose the virile, manly qualities, and sink into a nation of mere hucksters, putting gain over national honor, and subordinating everything to mere ease of life, then we shall indeed reach a condition worse than that of the ancient civilizations in the years of their decay.

Theodore Roosevelt
Years, Civilization, Honor
Theodore Roosevelt (1897). “The Works of Theodore Roosevelt: American ideals, with a biographical sketch by F. V. Greene. Administration”

In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American.

Theodore Roosevelt
Men, Firsts, Facts
Theodore Roosevelt (1954). “Letters of Theodore Roosevelt: The days of Armageddon, 1900-1914”

The man who loves other countries as much as his own stands on a level with the man who loves other women as much as he loves his own wife.

Theodore Roosevelt
Country, Men, Wife
Theodore Roosevelt (2015). “Theodore Roosevelt on Bravery: Lessons from the Most Courageous Leader of the Twentieth Century”, p.91, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.