Hey/First 'regular' post/historical puzzler...

[Guest Chattgunner]

Hi, TGOs-

Who said this?

"The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves in their separate, and individual capacities. In all that the people can individually do as well for themselves, government ought not to interfere."

(No Googling/searching, please-at least without first making a good guess).

Have fun with it-

Al

[Worriedman]

I ran across this quote not too long ago doing research for a speech I am to give in Selmer at a Tea Party in January, so I will not spoil your contest. Suffice it say, the message is mixed, from the:

"The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves in their separate, and individual capacities.

Seems directly at odds with the remainder of the quote:

In all that the people can individually do as well for themselves, government ought not to interfere."

Of course in his defense, Chicago and Detroit had a much different make up in his day.

The Welfare State had not begun to exist, even in the minds of people at that time, and I would suppose that feeding one's family through individual labor was still something of an expectation, and would have fallen under the second sentence and not the first.

[mcurrier]

I believe that would be the Penny man. I'll bet you a $5 bill.

[1gewehr]

It ain't true, anyway.

The only legitimate function of government is to protect the rights of it's citizens. Nothing more, nothing less.

The Federal government does NOT do this.