Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin, (1706-1790) US Founding Father

False Benjamin Franklin Quote

“No man's life, liberty or fortune is safe while our legislature is in session.”

Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin
~ Benjamin Franklin

Falsey attributed to Franklin.
Orginal source is from Gideon J. Tucker, Final Accounting in the Estate of A.B., 1 Tucker 248 (N.Y. Surr. 1866), in a decision of a will case:
“No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session.”
http://libertytree.ca/quotes/Gideon.J..Tucker.Quote.28AD

Ratings and Comments


Mike, Norwalk

:-) Never more true than today

E Archer, NYC
  • Reply
E Archer, NYC Mike, Norwalk 1/12/21

How about today?  2021

Anonymous, Reston, VA US

... but it need not be that way, nor do I believe that it is always that way...

Joe, Rochester, MI

Why do you agree with this quote but rate it thumbs down?

Bob, Eugene OR

Reston has something in its water supply.

Ken, Allyn, WA

George Washington said government was like fire. Fires, if not used correctly, can burn you until you die; it can maim you, taking away liberty you once had; and it can destroy your property. Government or fire is most dangerous when it becomes too big to control. Just try stopping a wildfire and you'll see how hard it is to stop government.

David L. Rosenthal

Eureka! A truth!

E Archer, NYC

Same as it ever was.

Mike, South Jordan, Utah

When they meet, they find creative ways of extrating and spending more of my money.

Ernest Parham, Colcord, OK

Does anyone know the original source of this Ben Franklin quote? I can only find it sourced to Gideon J. Tucker.

Kurt, Los Angeles

This quote is attributed to Mark Twain and listed under his name on this web site. My recollection is that Twain's exact quote is that "No man's life, liberty or property is secure when the legislature is in session." I doubt that Franklin would have made such a cynical remark about the republic he had worked so hard to gain.

jim k, Austin, Tx

It's exactly correct no matter who said it. It's especially true now with that bunch of socialists and muslims running things in D.C.

Dave Wilber, St. Louis

"Freedom is the absence of legislation" said the late Merrill Jenkins, Monetary Realist whim I knew well. Learn what others think of him today. google: "merrill jenkins" money using money outside the quote marks

E Archer, NYC

No longer funny...

Editor, Liberty Quotes

This quote has been misattributed to Ben Franklin.  It is actually from Gideon J. Tucker, Final Accounting in the Estate of A.B., 1 Tucker 248 (N.Y. Surr. 1866), in a decision of a will case:
“No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session.”
http://libertytree.ca/quotes/Gideon.J..Tucker.Quote.28AD

The source has been updated.

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