Grover Cleveland

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Grover Cleveland

Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837 – June 24, 1908) was the 22nd (1885–1889) and 24th (1893–1897) President of the United States.

Sourced quotes

  • "I have tried so hard to do the right."[1]
Simple: I have tried very hard to do the right thing.
  • "Public officers are the servants and agents of the people, to execute the laws which the people have made."[2]
Simple: Politicians have to serve the people. They have to enact the laws the people have made.
  • "When more of the people's sustenance is exacted through the form of taxation than is necessary to meet the just obligations of government and expenses of its economical administration, such exaction becomes ruthless extortion and a violation of the fundamental principles of free government."[3]
Simple: When people's incomes are being taken by the government through taxes and the governments did not need as much money, then these taxes become a crime and go against what a free government stands for.
  • "I have considered the pension list of the republic a roll of honor."[4]
Simple: I think the pension list of the republic is an honor.
  • "Communism is a hateful thing and a menace to peace and organized government; but the communism of combined wealth and capital, the outgrowth of overweening cupidity and selfishness, which insidiously undermines the justice and integrity of free institutions, is not less dangerous than the communism of oppressed poverty and toil, which, exasperated by injustice and discontent, attacks with wild disorder the citadel of rule.
    He mocks the people who proposes that the Government shall protect the rich and that they in turn will care for the laboring poor. Any intermediary between the people and their Government or the least delegation of the care and protection the Government owes to the humblest citizen in the land makes the boast of free institutions a glittering delusion and the pretended boon of American citizenship a shameless imposition."[5]
Simple: Communism is a bad thing and it hurts peaceful and good government. But if communism is mixed with wealth and capital, the way that people make money by greed, which destroys the justice and integrity of free institutions, is not as dangerous than communism where people are very poor and have many problems. This, because of no justice and discontent, attacks government from ruling and causes chaos.
Communism mocks people who try to use government to protect people who have much money and help people who have very little money. Any times that people and government work together, or at least if people think about who should be is government, makes free institutions look very good, and the fake goodness of America under communism appear very bad.

References

  1. White House Special Handbook, Or How to Rule the World in the 21st, Google Books.
  2. Letter on becoming the governor of New York (October 1882)
  3. Second Annual Message (December 1886)
  4. Veto of Dependent Pension Bill, July 5, 1888.
  5. Fourth Annual Message (3 December 1888)

Other websites