By simply protecting every man in his rights, a government necessarily keeps open to every one the widest possible field, that he honestly can have, for such industry as he may choose to follow.
Lysander Spooner: “By simply protecting every man in his rights, a government necessarily keeps open to every one the widest possible…”
Editor's note · Context
This statement outlines Spooner's belief that a government should protect rights to foster individual industry and freedom.
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On the contrary, they acknowledge themselves robbers, murderers, and villains, pure and simple.
They do not tell us that they have established infallible supreme courts, to whom they refer all questions as to the legality of their acts, and that they do nothing that is not sanctioned by these courts.
They acknowledge it to be our unquestioned right and duty to kill them, if we can; that they expect nothing else, than that we will kill them, if we can; and that we are only fools and cowards, if we do not kill them, by any and every…
When they have once taken our money, they have the decency to get out of our sight as soon as possible; they do not persist in following us, and robbing us, again and again, so long as we produce anything that they can take from us.