"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both"

In this quote, Louis D. Brandeis is highlighting the fundamental dispute in between democracy and concentrated wealth. He suggests that a country can either have a fair and equivalent democratic system, where power is distributed among individuals, or it can have a small group of individuals who hold an out of proportion amount of wealth and impact. However, he argues that it is difficult to have both at the very same time. This declaration speaks to the dangers of extreme economic inequality and the capacity for it to weaken the principles of democracy. Brandeis is highlighting the importance of a balanced distribution of wealth in maintaining a healthy and working democracy.