William Howard Taft Quote

"Next to the right of liberty, the right of property is the most important individual right guaranteed by the Constitution and the one which, united with that of personal liberty, has contributed more to the growth of civilization than any other institution established by the human race."

by:	William Howard Taft (1857-1930) 27th US President
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Categories:	Civil Rights, Constitution, Freedom, Individual Rights, Justice, Law, Liberty, President, Property, Republic
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ahh, not quite, but close enough.  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
I think I see what you mean Mike. Liberty IS the individual's property and the individual's property IS liberty.  -- Anon      1
Mike and Anon are idiots.  -- Pete, Durham, NC
Pete, why are we idiots? Speak up, let us know your reasoning. Waffler almost never agrees with us and its always good to see his comments. We learn from others, even when we don't agree with them.  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
Property blocks the road to socialism.  -- Huck      1
Awesome quote. And yes, this what made America Great! But!...with "Hope and Change" America will be one big ghetto in no time. Sad.  -- J Carlton, Calgary      1
Pete"s a typical liberal , no reasonable arguement, just name calling. Speak up Pete, why are Mike and Anon idiots.  -- jim k, austin      1
-- Bob, Eaton NH
I agree with jim k, where is Pete's reply? And I agree 100% with the quote. Without striving for property, and then caring for it and perpetuating it's existence, there is no drive to succeed and improve. The kind of country the Liberals espouse is one of complete, helpless stagnation of the populace, with all power in the hands of the paternalistic Government. Socialists want everything and everybody reduced to the lowest common denominator, and happy with what the ruling party thinks they need, and with their promises to provide for them. NO EFFORT, NO RESPONSIBILTY.  -- Nancy, Franklin, KY      1
Why has this become a platform for bashing liberals, or socialists for that matter? You praise the Bill of Rights and the Constitution but then exaggerate and insult anyone who is not a conservative. You make some unjust assumptions and alienate people. You must be a Rush Limbaugh lover!  -- Jugs, Corrales
-- Logan, Memphis, TN
Jugs, its the liberals and socialists who are destroying American values. Some of us don't like that. Hope that helps. :)  -- J Carlton, Calgary      1
So are the conservatives ruling this comment on quote section? I really dispute your claim. It is the greedy corporations who are ruining this country. It by for the corporations, for the corporations, and with the corporations. Who does all the world in this country? The people. Not corporations who give rich people high returns on their invested dollar. I am worth over a million but never bought stocks because in order to pay the high returns, the people had to be shortchanged.  -- Jugs, Corrales
http://www.care2.com/causes/civil-rights/blog/animal-activist-just-released-from-secretive-prison-speaks-out/ Take a look at this web site and watch the video as well as the news link to Democracy Now, and see what you think of your commercial, opps, conservative America and what it does to rights. I am sure you don't like activists, especially anyone who would stand up for the rights of a dog to not be tortured. I really love the quotes but not so much the feedback which at times is pretty right, no pun intended.  -- Jugs, Corrales
Peter, try not to be rude and just state your case/argument. Though I do agree the statement is silly because it totally lacks reality. Please tell me what is meant by the right of property - what right is he talking about - we have no rights to property today or yesterday. If the government wants it they will take it, one way or another. The biggest fallacy of all time is this thinking that we have sovereignty over our property. Editor, I don know what it is but you are coming up with quotes that addle the mind and lack imagination. Also it seems you are stuck on the past instead of working to improve the future. Its imagination we need not knowledge.  -- RBESRQ
P.s Jim you too are being rude.  -- RBESRQ
Jugs, I'm with you - they also watch Fox news - sorry I'm being rude.  -- RBESRQ
Dont worry Jugs, liberals will be there to mend their wounds.  -- RBESRQ
I really dispute your claim. It is the greedy corporations who are ruining this country.....Corporations could accomplish none of this without the government in their pockets. Its called fascism. Its fascism that's running the country. Time to get back to basic American values.  -- J Carlton, Calgary      1
Carlton - thanks, you just confirmed what I said. There is no such thing as basic American values. And that my dear friend is the beginning of nationalism which is the beginning of tyranny. We must stop always using religion and nationalism as props for our own behavior - as if those two things know the answers - they don't; all they have done is create harm, bloodshed, misery and put a Sprag in the way of science and progress.  -- RBESRQ
RBE, I see your point. Perhaps I should replace the term "American Values" with Natural Law / Morlality / Ethics. None of which are necessarily rooted in religion.  -- J Carlton, Calgary      1
J Carlton, all morality is a religious derivative. "Moral pertains to character, conduct, intention, social relations, etc. (1) Pertaining or relating to the conscience or moral sense or to the general principles of right conduct. (2) Cognizable or enforceable only by the conscience or by the principles of right conduct, as distinguished from positive law. (3) Depending upon or resulting from probability; raising a belief or conviction in the mind independent of strict or logical proof." (Black's Law Dictionary 6th Edition) Positive law is that body of administration covering natural law - that which has natural consequences; step off a curb = gravity, spend to much = bankruptcy, etc. Logical proof would be A equals B at all times outside any physical absolutes. Morality is the belief system of right - religion in practice.  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
This is the one the socialists can't get their heads around. If there is some authority that can decide what of yours you may keep, what is to be taken and what you will have to pay annually to keep, then you have become a slave subject to the whims of arbitrary authority (i.e. other human beings that have laid claim to you and everything you have or will ever have). This is the way to totalitarianism, monarchy, and the anthill of communism.  -- E Archer, NYC      1
Mike of Norwalk might do well to put aside Black's Law Dictionary, and take a look at Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary or the OED. Law does not define the English language, although it may define the Law's use of that language.. There is, in the definition of morality and ethics, nothing that speaks of religion. Morality and ethics deal with a conscious effort toward standards of conduct, whereas religion deals with "systems of belief and worship, and the service and adoration of God." To equate morality with religion is an argument in favor of behaving in a socially irresponsible way, be it to your fellow man or to your environment. It is a way to feel justified in saying that, since you reject religion, you are justified in rejecting morality and/or ethics. Moreover, to be ethical is to conform to "professional standards of conduct." I do not see any trace of church or God in that definition. I see in morality and ethics a way of life that is civilized and responsible; where people of their own volition, and by their own instincts for decency and fairness, strive to live honorable lives, regardless of their religious or political persuasion.  -- Nancy, Franklin, NY      1
Nancy, great superficial perspective and definitions. Your inability to understand the relationships between the subject words and concepts is typical of the dumming down of America. A question, how is a "professional standard of conduct" a moral or ethical measurement? As a professional standard of conduct, police compel many types of despotism at the end of a gun, taser, and club with no remedy available. Such police actions are based on enforcement of a belief system's canons (religion), complete with their own morals and ethics, not law. If your New Collegiate Dictionary has expanded the meaning of 'survival of the fittest / luckiest' to include moral and ethical, it is a change in the English language.  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
Nancy, I'm still smiling while shaking my head. How is equating morality with religion an argument if favor of behaving in a socially irresponsible way (to person or property)? If you reject religion, you do reject morality and ethics. If you apply the full legal dictionary meaning of religion (not just what fits your immediate justification) to your actions, and then reject religion, there is then no justification needed for antisocial behavior. In the medical field, "professional standards of conduct" are to provide a high level of care while a strict application thereof (possible dilution of liabilities) has caused pain, injury, and even death. How is that moral or ethical? The moral and ethical treatment of man, animal, and environment comes from a belief system - as defined " a real piety in practice, consisting in the performance of all known duties to . . . our fellow men." (legal dictionary)  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
RBESRQ it is imagination without knowledge that keeps putting us in incredible messes like the one we are in. That is why the same old retread ideas of the left is now new and "change". Any knowledge of history and the consequences would have avoided the entire economic and policy nightmare that is going on now. None of this crap is new and all of it has failed before. It failed every time it has been tried and the idiots that support people like Obama keep falling for it. Knowledge is indispensable. Imagination without knowledge and common sense is a disaster waiting to happen. As for the hope, Obama followers hope the old worn out ideas do not have the same results they had the last time they were tried. But Obama hopes that they do. Reduced economic freedom and personal responsibility = more power for the jackass party.  -- warren, olathe
-- Anonymous
I like william taft... I am doing a project on him :P and i need a long quote.. Does anybody know one?  -- pie, party
We don't need more toys or toying. We need ideas, ideas, ideas. We need ideas, because the idea of civilization has not even registered on the minds of convention.   -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown      1

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