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"The President is merely the most important among a large number of
public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the
degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his
efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested
service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary
that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts,
and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does
wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an
American citizen is both base and servile. 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."
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times.