Taking Five And Returning Four Is Not

Life, Faculties, Production-in Other Words, Individuality, Liberty, Property-this Is Man. And In Spite Of The Cunning Of Artful Political Leaders, These Three Gifts From God Precede All Human Legislation, And Are Superior To It.

Thus, If There Exists A Law Which Sanctions Slavery Or Monopoly, Oppression Or Robbery, In Any Form Whatever, It Must Not Even Be Mentioned. For How Can It Be Mentioned Without Damaging The Respect Which It Inspires? Still Further, Morality And Political Economy Must Be Taught From The Point Of View Of This Law; From The Supposition That It Must Be A Just Law Merely Because It Is A Law. Another Effect Of This Tragic Perversion Of The Law Is That It Gives An Exaggerated Importance To Political Passions And Conflicts, And To Politics In General.

When Law And Morality Contradict Each Other, The Citizen Has The Cruel Alternative Of Either Losing His Moral Sense Or Losing His Respect For The Law.

We Disapprove Of State Education. Then The Socialists Say That We Are Opposed To Any Education. We Object To A State Religion. Then The Socialists Say That We Want No Religion At All. We Object To A State-enforced Equality. Then They Say That We Are Against Equality. And So On, And So On. It Is As If The Socialists Were To Accuse Us Of Not Wanting Persons To Eat Because We Do Not Want The State To Raise Grain.

As Proof Of This Statement, Consider This Question: Have The People Ever Been Known To Rise Against The Court Of Appeals, Or Mob A Justice Of The Peace, In Order To Get Higher Wages, Free Credit, Tools Of Production, Favorable Tariffs, Or Government-created Jobs? Everyone Knows Perfectly Well That Such Matters Are Not Within The Jurisdiction Of The Court Of Appeals Or A Justice Of The Peace. And If Government Were Limited To Its Proper Functions, Everyone Would Soon Learn That These Matters Are Not Within The Jurisdiction Of The Law Itself.