In praise of ‘Silent Cal’

President Calvin Coolidge once said government should operate like a railroad, charging a price for freight that “the traffic will bear.” Coolidge’s commitment to low taxes came from his concept of property rights. He viewed heavy taxation as the legalization of expropriation. “I want taxes to be less, that the people may have more." In fact, Coolidge disapproved of any government intervention that eroded the bond of the contract. …More than once Coolidge vetoed what would later be called farm allotment–the government purchase of commodities to reduce supply and drive up prices. …Today our government has moved so far from Coolidge’s tenets that it’s difficult to imagine such policies being emulated.

That is from a piece that's getting a lot of readership this weekend. All Complete Las Vegans should make the time to read it. Also, take a look at the vintage footage of Coolidge.