Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.

The saying urges moral independence in democratic life: cast a ballot according to conscience rather than party pressure, popularity, or short-term advantage. Even if a principled vote seems futile—because it is cast in isolation or for a losing cause—it still has value as a public witness and as a contribution to the long arc of political change. The “sweetest reflection” is the inward assurance that one has acted rightly; the claim that the vote is “never lost” suggests that principled dissent can influence future alignments, legitimize reform movements, and preserve personal integrity. In this reading, civic duty is measured less by immediate outcomes than by fidelity to principle.