[Alas Babylon!]

Now Morgan, he did not say that.

AUTHOR: Benjamin Franklin (1706–90)

QUOTATION: “Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?”

“A Republic, if you can keep it.”

Big difference between a Democracy (mob rule) and a Republic (majority and minority rights; no aristocracy), but I’ll bet you know that!

[PaleoBob]

“A Republic, if you can keep it.”

---

I always loved that quote. I was up at Independence Hall about two weeks ago, one of my favorite places to visit, and I swear when you walk along some of the cobblestone you can almost hear the clack-clack of the carriages, the din of the awaiting “citizens,” and the faint echo of Mr. Franklin’s amazing rejoinder to the inquiring lady who reputedly shouted out the question:

“And what kind of government have you given us, Mr. Franklin?”

God, what great men these otherwise ordinary geniuses were!

[Morgan in Denver]

Well, I was close. It works for hand grenades, horse shoes and pregnancies.