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Do not preach the straight and narrow way while going joyously upon the wide one. Preach the wide one, or do not preach at all; but do not fool yourself by saying you would like to help usher in a free society, but you cannot sacrifice an armchair for it.

— Voltairine de Cleyre The Dominant Idea (1910)

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More quotes by Voltairine de Cleyre

As to the American tradition of non-meddling, Anarchism asks that it be carried down to the individual himself.

Anarchism & American Traditions (1908)

The love of material ease has been, in the mass of men and permanently speaking, always greater than the love of liberty.

Anarchism & American Traditions (1908)

Of the exercise of a right power may deprive me; of the right itself, never.

The Economic Tendency of Freethought (1890)

I would rather, much rather, be illegitimate according to the statutes of men, than illegitimate according to the unchanging law of Nature.

Sex Slavery (1890)

Let the guarantee of free speech be in every man's determination to use it, and we shall have no need of paper declarations.

Anarchism & American Traditions (1908)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Voltairine de Cleyre (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.