William Edgar Borah

1865–1940 · U.S. Senator from Idaho & famed orator

William Edgar Borah was a Republican U.S. senator from Idaho who served from 1907 until his death in 1940, earning the nickname “the Lion of Idaho.” A celebrated orator and leading isolationist, he was a central voice against the League of Nations and a frequent commentator on the reach of government — the milieu from which this line about citizens tolerating unnecessary burdens emerged.

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“The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments”

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