Benjamin Franklin, Candidus, Eric Felton

[♦ nivek ♦]

" ... as all history informs us, there has been in every State & Kingdom a

constant kind of warfare between the governing & governed: the one striving to

obtain more for its support, and the other to pay less. And this has alone

occasioned great convulsions, actual civil wars, ending either in dethroning of

the Princes, or enslaving of the people. Generally indeed the ruling power

carries its point, the revenues of princes constantly increasing, and we see

that they are never satisfied, but always in want of more. The more the people

are discontented with the oppression of taxes; the greater need the prince has

of money to distribute among his partisans and pay the troops that are to

suppress all resistance, and enable him to plunder at pleasure. There is scarce

a king in a hundred who would not, if he could, follow the example of Pharaoh,

get first all the people's money, then all their lands, and then make them and

their children servants for ever ..."

-- Benjamin Franklin

(1706-1790) US Founding Father

Source: before the Constitutional Convention, June 2, 1787

http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Benjamin.Franklin.Quote.9DCF

 

 

"f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws

to which they cannot give their approbation,

they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them."

-- Candidus

Pen name of Samuel Adams during the era of the Sons of Liberty

Source: in the Boston Gazette, 1772

http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Candidus.Quote.2561

 

 

"Legislators like pork because it helps them get reelected. They are interested

in administrative details because long tenure promotes narrow specialization.

The constituent service racket allows lawmakers to ignore big problems by

fixing small ones. In becoming ombudsman -- glorified errand boys, --

incumbents build up enough good will for most to survive even a watershed year

like 1992. By ending congressional careerism, term limits will encourage

attention to larger legislative issues. By changing the understanding of the

legislator's role, term limits are probably the most effective single reform

that can be imposed on Congress. And imposed it will have to be: While great

majorities of the American people support term limits, lawmakers oppose them in

even larger proportions. With a career Congress, voters face a dilemma: They do

not like paying taxes to Washington and hoping to get them back in the form of

pork and entitlements, but as long as the system is rigged, it makes sense to

vote for the incumbent to maximize your own take. Congressmen face a similar

dilemma: Take the easy road to reelection or face the often difficult choices

of balancing local and national interests. Take away the career mindset and

both representatives and voters can make choices based on the merits of each

case. ... In fact, one of the biggest benefits of non-professional legislators

is that they would be unlikely to join with the bureaucrats and special

interests in blowing smoke at the voters."

-- Eric Felton

Source: The Ruling Class, The Heritage Foundation, 1993.

http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Eric.Felton.Quote.3A2E