The public be damned

Cultural  

1. Words attributed to William H. Vanderbilt, a railroad executive of the late nineteenth century. They were supposedly spoken to a newspaper reporter.

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“The public be damned” has often been recalled when business leaders have been accused of shirking responsibility toward the public.

Example Sentences

People were reminded of piratical old Commodore Vanderbilt's phrase: "The public be damned."

From Time Magazine Archive

Labor's attitude seemed to be: "The public be damned; let's get ours."

From Time Magazine Archive

You know, some great man said, "The public be damned."

From Writing for Vaudeville by Page, Brett

Asked by a reporter why he did not consider public convenience in the running of his trains, he blurted out, "The public be damned!"

From Great Fortunes from Railroads by Myers, Gustavus

No captain of any great industrial enterprise dares now to say, "The public be damned," even if he ever said it—which I much doubt.

From Love, Life & Work Being a Book of Opinions Reasonably Good-Natured Concerning How to Attain the Highest Happiness for One's Self with the Least Possible Harm to Others by Hubbard, Elbert