American - Philosopher | January 19, 1808 - May 14, 1887
All legitimate government is a mutual insurance company, voluntarily agreed upon by the parties to it, for the protection of their rights against wrong-doers. In its voluntary character it is precisely similar to an association for mutual protection against fire or shipwreck.
Lysander Spooner
CharacterFireGovernmentInsurance
Who are ever taxed? Individuals only. Who have property that can be taxed? Individuals only. Who can give their consent to be taxed? Individuals only. Who are ever taxed without their consent? Individuals only. Who, then, are robbed, if taxed without their consent? Individuals only.
WithoutPropertyConsentGiveOnly
A married woman has the same natural right to acquire and hold property, and to make all contracts that she is mentally competent to make reasonably, as has a married man, or any other man.
WomanManSheRightSameContracts
Money is the great instrumentality for manufacturing.
GreatMoneyManufacturing
One essential of a free government is that it rest wholly on voluntary support. And one certain proof that a government is not free, is that it coerces more or less persons to support it, against their will.
GovernmentSupportFreeRestWill
There can be no criminal intent in resisting injustice.
InjusticeCriminalIntentResisting
The trial by jury is a trial by 'the country,' in contradistinction to a trial by the government. The jurors are drawn by lot from the mass of the people, for the very purpose of having all classes of minds and feelings, that prevail among the people at large, represented in the jury.
PurposeGovernmentPeopleFeelings
Children learn many principles of natural law at a very early age. For example: they learn that when one child has picked up an apple or a flower, it is his, and that his associates must not take it from him against his will.
FlowerAgeChildrenChildLawLearn
The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.
MankindGreatestDestroyWarsCrimes
To say that majorities, as such, have a right to rule minorities, is equivalent to saying that minorities have, and ought to have, no rights, except such as majorities please to allow them.
SayingSayRightRightsRuleAllow
All governments, the worst on earth, and the most tyrannical on earth, are free governments to that portion of the people who voluntarily support them.
SupportPeopleFreeEarthWorstWho
If the jury have no right to judge of the justice of a law of the government, they plainly can do nothing to protect the people against the oppressions of the government; for there are no oppressions which the government may not authorize by law.
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