Abraham Lincoln Quotes
It is best for all to leave each man free to acquire property as fast as he can. Some will get wealthy. I don’t believe in a law to prevent a man from getting rich; it would do more harm than good. So while we do not propose any war upon capital, we do wish to allow the humblest man an equal chance to get rich with everybody else.
Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865, 16th President of the United States (Republican, IL), Speech, New Haven, Connecticut, March 6, 1860
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
In 1881 this view was that of a radical political outlier. In the first decades of the 21st century, this was a generally acceptable political viewpoint held by members of both major political parties.
While generally true, Mises here again exaggerates his “proof” by selectively ignoring or being ignorant of counter-examples. The Roman Catholic Church is a classic counter-example where priests, monks, and others owned nothing as individuals, but produced some great science (eg Gregor Mendel), art (the illuminated texts of the middle ages), literature (St Thomas Aquinas, etc). The best counter example that was just evident in the last decade of Misis’ life is Communist Russia. Russian science was better than Fance and Germany and second only to the United States. The Russian ballet and orchestras were second to none. Great literature came out of the Soviet Union and the best of it complained about and attacked the Soviet system of the times. In general, Mises principle tended to be correct throughout history but not always as he dogmatically stated.
Every economically successful American had help in amassing is fortune. The police who protected his assets, the roads and canals on which he transported his goods to market and obtained raw material. The labor force that was educated by the state. The patent system that protected his inventions. The money supply that has been made available, the registry of land and property ownerships and deeds. The courts to resolve disputes. The general affluence of the nation to buy his product or services. These have been paid for by the taxes of all Americans. All have helped the successful on their journey to wealth and their ability to keep it from those who would use violence to take it. The successful entrepreneur however has usually made extraordinary effort and exhibited extraordinary talent and skill which is why not everyone is as affluent. No one lifted themselves up by their own bootstraps, but many have with their own talent and work, climbed a very difficult ladder that the nation had in place.
Abraham Lincoln was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. In doing so, he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy.
