The chief duty of governments, in so far as they are coercive, is to restrain those who would interfere with the inalienable rights of the individual, among which are the right to life, the right to liberty, the right to the pursuit of happiness and the right to worship God according to the dictates of one’s conscience.
William Jennings Bryan (1860–1925) American lawyer, statesman, politician, orator
Speech before the City Club, Baltimore (24 Apr 1915)
Restated as Rule #3 in "Bryan’s Ten Rules for the New Voter," Baltimore Sun (25 Apr 1915)
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