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.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Cleveland argues that both concentrated wealth and extreme poverty are dangerous to society. He believes government must protect workers from capital without intermediaries.
- In plain terms
- Government should protect workers from big money and not let anyone stand between people and leaders.
- What can you take from it?
- State power must directly safeguard honest labor.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How can government stay neutral in class conflicts?
- What intermediaries do we accept today?
Another view
It assumes the government can be neutral in conflicts between classes.
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I have considered the pension list of the republic a roll of honor.
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