Posted on 04/28/2010 11:52:42 AM PDT by Bigtigermike
The Encouragement of Idleness
For the LONDON CHRONICLE.
To Messieurs the PUBLIC and CO. I am one of that class of people that feeds you all, and at present is abus'd by you all; -- in short I am a Farmer.....
"......For my own part, I am not so well satisfied of the goodness of this thing.I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. -- I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it.
In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.
There is no country in the world where so many provisions are established for them; so many hospitals to receive them when they are sick or lame, founded and maintained by voluntary charities; so many alms-houses for the aged of both sexes, together with a solemn general law made by the rich to subject their estates to a heavy tax for the support of the poor. Under all these obligations, are our poor modest, humble, and thankful; and do they use their best endeavors to maintain themselves, and lighten our shoulders of this burthen? -- On the contrary, I affirm that there is no country in the world in which the poor are more idle, dissolute, drunken, and insolent. The day you passed that act, you took away from before their eyes the greatest of all inducements to industry, frugality, and sobriety, by giving them a dependance on somewhat else than a careful accumulation during youth and health, for support in age or sickness. In short, you offered a premium for the encouragement of idleness, and you should not now wonder that it has had its effect in the increase of poverty.
Repeal that law, and you will soon see a change in their manners. St. Monday, and St. Tuesday, will cease to be holidays. SIX days shalt thou labour, though one of the old commandments long treated as out of date, will again be looked upon as a respectable precept; industry will increase, and with it plenty among the lower people; their circumstances will mend, and more will be done for their happiness by inuring them to provide for themselves, than could be done by dividing all your estates among them.
Excuse me, Messrs. the Public, if upon this interesting subject, I put you to the trouble of reading a little of my nonsense. I am sure I have lately read a great deal of yours; and therefore from you (at least from those of you who are writers) I deserve a little indulgence. I am, your's, &c. ARATOR."
The London Chronicle, November 29, 1766
http://books.google.com/books?id=Z8I3bAl...3A&f=false
http://www.historycarper.com/resources/twobf3/price.htm
Franklin was a smart fellow.
__________________________________________________
... “There is no country in the world where so many provisions are established for them; so many hospitals to receive them when they are sick or lame, founded and maintained by voluntary charities; so many alms-houses for the aged of both sexes, together with a solemn general law made by the rich to subject their estates to a heavy tax for the support of the poor. Under all these obligations, are our poor modest, humble, and thankful; and do they use their best endeavors to maintain themselves, and lighten our shoulders of this burthen? — On the contrary, I affirm that there is no country in the world in which the poor are more idle, dissolute, drunken, and insolent. The day you passed that act, you took away from before their eyes the greatest of all inducements to industry, frugality, and sobriety, by giving them a dependance on somewhat else than a careful accumulation during youth and health, for support in age or sickness. In short, you offered a premium for the encouragement of idleness, and you should not now wonder that it has had its effect in the increase of poverty...
________________________________________________
TRUE! TRUE! TRUE then. TRUE now. TRUE in the future.
We now have so many on welfare the numbers are close to 50%, perhaps more. We know they will not vote to stop welfare, food stamps and free health care, free education, including grants, etc for college..”
So we have created our own demise ... being enablers to those that can be responsible for their self.
God help us in our day, in Jesus name. amen.
__________________________________________________________
Funny in reading this all I could think about is General Motors and how applicable it is to corporate welfare as well.
As Ann Coulter says - liberals take away every incentive know to man that would prompt people to get an alarm clock.
And bear in mind that, for his day and amongst the founders, Franklin was more a man of the Left than of the Right. Even LIBERALS back then “got it.”
I don’t think Benny would be very impressed with the “progress” we’ve made in the last 250 years.
One of the criticisms and fears of democracy was that once the people learned that they controlled the nation’s purse strings that they would destroy themselves. This is what happens in a welfare state. There are many stories of people believing that if Obama were elected POTUS, everything would be provided by the government for free. How many people believed that they were getting free health care? The government will pay for it. The American welfare state will continue to grow until the government collapses. Plato recognized that in a democracy it is easier for politicians to give things to people rather than ask them to sacrifice.
There are universal truths. Those we don’t forget are still squelched by those with an agenda. But it does nothing to change the universal truths.
Every nation has their version of “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for life”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.