A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.

Roosevelt’s comparison of the ballot to a rifle frames voting as a powerful instrument rather than a mere civic formality. Like a weapon, a vote can protect or harm the commonwealth depending on the judgment, knowledge, and moral character of the person wielding it. The line reflects a recurrent Progressive-era concern—shared by Roosevelt in various contexts—that democratic power requires civic virtue: informed citizens, resistance to corruption, and willingness to use political power for the public good rather than private gain. The metaphor also underscores responsibility: the right to vote is inseparable from the duty to use it wisely.