"If our vaunted rule of the people does not breed nobler men and women than monarchies have done it must and will inevitably give place to something better"

This quote by Anna Julia Cooper speaks to the power of democracy and the obligation of people to maintain it. Cooper is suggesting that if democracy does not produce residents of greater ethical character than those of monarchies, then it will be replaced by something much better. This implies that democracy is not an end in itself, but rather a way to an end. Cooper is stressing the value of people taking obligation for their own actions and making every effort to be much better people. She is likewise recommending that democracy is just as strong as individuals who promote it, which if residents do not take their obligation seriously, then democracy will not succeed. Cooper's words are a pointer that democracy is a privilege and a duty, which residents need to take their role in it seriously if it is to remain a feasible form of government.