A Brief History of the almanack - Part III

I therefore filled all the little spaces, that occurred between the remarkable days in the Calendar, with proverbial sentences, chiefly such as inculcated industry and frugality, as the means of procuring wealth, and thereby securing virtue; it being more difficult for a man in want to act always honestly, as (to use here one of those proverbs) “It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright.”  B. Franklin

Benjamin Franklin wrote and quoted pithy sayings that motivated early Americans to work hard and save money so they could amass wealth and secure virtue. What a novel idea!

It’s especially worth noting that Benjamin Franklin does not suggest that the solution to the problem of poverty or economic failure is a function of government.

Early Americans were wary of any government intervention in their private lives. The British government’s incursion into the daily lives of everyday citizens was, in fact, what motivated the American Revolution.

What amazes most is that the principles laid out in ‘Poor Richard’s Almanack’ and summarized in ‘ The Way to Wealth’ worked for the founding fathers and for many generations after them.  It’s hard to be virtuous—have peace of mind and the freedom to serve our family, church, and country—when living in poverty.

It’s ever more challenging when living under the crushing weight of a government that has the power to give you everything you need and therefore the power to take it away.

Although the role of government in today’s more complex society is not precisely the same as it was at the time of the Revolution, the principles are the same.

Keeping the government from becoming the dictator—even the benevolent dictator—that keeps the individual “in want,” is still a worthy goal.

Think about that.

It’s a matter of choice…