+by+Revolutionary+War+hero+Tadeusz+Kosciuszko+(1746-1817).jpg)
Quotation: "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
Earliest known appearance in print: 1986
Status: This exact quotation has not been found in any of the writings of Thomas Jefferson. It bears a very vague resemblance to Jefferson's comment in a prospectus for his translation of Destutt de Tracy's Treatise on Political Economy: "To take from one, because it is thought that his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, —the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry, & the fruits acquired by it."
For a discussion of this spurious quote see the Monticello website here.
No comments:
Post a Comment