The danger in our system is that the general government, which represents the interests of the whole, may encroach on the states, which represent the peculiar and local interests, or that the latter may encroach on the former.
John C. CalhounRead
I am in favor of high wages and agree that the higher the wages, the stronger the evidence of prosperity, provided (and that is the important point) they are so naturally, by the effectiveness of industry, and not in consequence of an inflated currency or any artificial regulation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
High wages are indicative of prosperity when they result from effective industry, not from inflation or artificial means.
This quote emphasizes the connection between high wages and true economic prosperity, arguing that wages should reflect the natural effectiveness of industry. Calhoun warns against relying on inflation or artificial regulations to inflate wages, suggesting that real wealth comes from productivity and sustainable practices in the economy.
Themes
WagesProsperityIndustryEconomyInflation
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on economic policies, I might use this quote to argue for sustainable wage increases.
More from John C. Calhoun
All quotes βThere is a tendency in all parties, when they have been for a long time in possession of power, to augment it.
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I hold that there is a mysterious connection between the fate of this country and that of Mexico; so much so that her independence and capability of sustaining herself are almost as essential to our prosperity and the maintenance of our institutions as they are to hers.
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The error is in the assumption that the General Government is a party to the constitutional compact. The States ... formed the compact, acting as sovereign and independent communities.
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There is not an example on record of any free state holding a province of the same extent and population without disastrous consequences. The nations conquered and held as a province have, in time, retaliated by destroying the liberty of their conquerors through the corrupting effect of extended patronage and irresponsible power.
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Stripped of all its covering, the naked question is, whether ours is a federal or consolidated government; a constitutional or absolute one; a government resting solidly on the basis of the sovereignty of the States, or on the unrestrained will of a majority; a form of government, as in all other unlimited ones, in which injustice, violence, and force must ultimately prevail.
John C. CalhounRead
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