Herbert Hoover Government Quotations

Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt.

It is just as important that business keep out of government as that government keep out of business.

If the law is upheld only by government officials, then all law is at an end.

When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned.

The durability of free speech and free press rests on the simple concept that it search for the truth and tell the truth.

If we could have but one generation of properly born, trained, educated, and healthy children, a thousand other problems of government would vanish.

The sole function of Government is to bring about a condition of affairs favorable to the beneficial development of private enterprise.

We have gold because we cannot trust governments

We must not be misled by the claim that the source of all wisdom is in the government.

Along this road of spending, the government either takes over, which is Socialism, or dictates institutional and economic life, which is Fascism.

Self-government can succeed only through an instructed electorate.

I am willing to pledge myself that if the time should ever come that the voluntary agencies of the country together with the localand state governments are unable to find resources with which to prevent hunger and sufferingI will ask the aid of every resource of the Federal Government.... I have the faith in the American people that such a day will not come.

Governments know that the life of the world cannot be saved if the soul of the world is allowed to be lost.

Freedom requires that government keep the channels of competition and opportunity open, prevent monopolies, economic abuse and domination.

Whatever doubt there may be as to the quality or purpose of our free speech we certainly have ample volumes in production.

All progress and growth is a matter of change, but change must be growth within our social and government concepts if it should not destroy them.

You cannot extend the mastery of government over the daily life of a people without somewhere making it master of people's souls and thoughts.... Every step in that direction poisons the very roots of liberalism. It poisons political equality, free speech, free press, and equality of opportunity. It is the road not to more liberty but to less liberty.

I am firmly opposed to the government entering into any business the major purpose of which is competition with our citizens... for the Federal Government deliberately to go out to build up and expand... a power and manufacturing business is to break down the initiative and enterprise of the American people; it is the destruction of equality of opportunity amongst our people, it is the negation of the ideals upon which our civilization has been based.

We supported the cooperative movement among farmers. The movement was still young and stubbornly opposed to the commercial distributors. I believed it to be one of the most helpful undertakings, for according to my social theories any organization run by citizens for their own welfare is preferable to the same action by the government.

Bureaucracy is ever desirous of spreading its influence and its power. You cannot extend the mastery of the government over the daily working life of a people without at the same time making it the master of the people's souls and thoughts.