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My creed is that public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation with full recognition that every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration, that constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought, that smears are not only to be expected but fought, that honor is to be earned but not bought.

— Margaret Chase Smith

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More quotes by Margaret Chase Smith

Strength, the American way, is not manifested by threats of criminal prosecution or police state methods.
Leadership is not manifested by coercion, even against the resented.

Declaration of Conscience‎ (1972)

When people keep telling you that you can't do a thing, you kind of like to try it.

I don't believe the American people will uphold any political party that puts political exploitation above national interest.

Declaration of Conscience (1950)

We should not permit tolerance to degenerate into indifference.

One of the basic causes for all the trouble in the world today is that people talk too much and think too little. They act too impulsively without thinking.

NEA Journal : The Journal of the National Education Association‎ Vol. 41 (1952)

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Attribution

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