WIST Quotations

Marat, Jean-Paul -- Letter to Camille Desmoulins (24 Jun 1790)

Dave — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 14:01:52 +0000

Of what use is political liberty to those who have no bread?

Jean-Paul Marat (1743–1793) French physician, political theorist, scientist, journalist
Letter to Camille Desmoulins (24 Jun 1790)

Stevenson, Adlai -- Speech (1952-09-06), “Farm Policy,” National Plowing Contest, Kasson, Minnesota

Dave — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:01:14 +0000

A hungry man is not a free man.

Adlai Stevenson II (1900–1965) American politician, diplomat, statesman
Speech (1952-09-06), “Farm Policy,” National Plowing Contest, Kasson, Minnesota

Brecht, Bertholt -- Die Dreigroschenoper [The Three-Penny Opera], Act 2, sc. 3 (1928)

Dave — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:23:47 +0000

MACHEATH: You may proclaim, good sirs, your fine philosophy
But till you feed us, right and wrong can wait!

[Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral.]

Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) German poet, playwright, director, dramaturgist
Die Dreigroschenoper [The Three-Penny Opera], Act 2, sc. 3 (1928)

Other translations:

However much you twist, whatever lies you tell / Food is the first thing, morals follow on." [used by the Pet Shop Boys, "What Keeps Mankind Alive?", Can You Forgive Her (1993)
Food first, then morality.
Food comes first, then morals.
First comes a full stomach, then comes ethics.

Twain, Mark -- Story (1893), “Extracts from Adam’s Diary,” The Niagara Book

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 19:00:00 +0000

[S]he brought some of those apples. I was obliged to eat them, I was so hungry. It was against my principles, but I find that principles have no real force except when one is well-fed.

Mark Twain (1835–1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
Story (1893), “Extracts from Adam’s Diary,” The Niagara Book

This was first published as one of the stories and sketches from various authors in The Niagara Book: A Complete Souvenir of Niagara Falls (1893), mentioning the story as "The Earliest Authentic Mention of Niagara Falls" (so named by Eve on the first Tuesday).

The story was first collected in a Twain collection in 1903 (My Debut as a Literary Person with Other Essays and Stories), and published as an independent book with this title in 1904.