Either, therefore, the people of former times were more watchful over government than those of the present, or government was administered with less extravagance.
Thomas Paine: “Either, therefore, the people of former times were more watchful over government than those of the present, or…”
Editor's note · Context
Paine speculates that either past generations were more vigilant against government overreach or governments were managed with greater fiscal prudence.
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