Justice Stephen J. FieldJustice Stephen J. Field, (1816-1899) US Supreme Court Justice

Justice Stephen J. Field Quote

“Here I close my opinion. I could not say less in view of questions of such gravity that go down to the very foundations of the government. If the provisions of the Constitution can be set aside by an Act of Congress, where is the course of usurpation to end? The present assault upon capital is but the beginning. It will be but the stepping-stone to others, larger and more sweeping, till our political contests will become a war of the poor against the rich; a war growing in intensity and bitterness.”

Justice Stephen J. FieldJustice Stephen J. Field
~ Justice Stephen J. Field

United States Supreme Court opinion, Pollock v. Farmers Loan & Trust Co. (1898)

Ratings and Comments


Anonymous, Ottawa

How come Americans allow such hypocrisy in their government? They've fallen asleep at the wheel of the most powerful, free republic on Earth. To establish a seat of such incredible power without its proper checks and balances will eventually lead to usurpation and oppression.

Joel, Rochester, MI

Americans wouldn't know tyranny if it came to them in a knock-knock joke. I don't recall who said this.

blueridge, WV

"A legislative act contrary to the Constitution is not law." -- Chief Justice John Marshall

Anonymous, Philadelphia,  Pa

If not a war, then subjugation.

Dr Steven Martin, Newcastle Australia

Recent quotes on finance/ banks 100% PLUS!!!. "For the love of money is the ROOT of ALL kinds of EVIL" Here is the living proof of of what even the most educated of persons in the Financial arena are totally UNaware. If ones points this out, the label of Conspiracy Theorist is generated.

jessica, tampa

I give it a 2

warren giese, olathe

How true. Many of the founding fathers saw this coming. I forget who but it was said by a founding father that this country could survive as long as the voter did not realize that he could vote himself a piece of the public pie. Now even members of the Supreme Court protect the subsidies that help to create class envy. This country was founded on property rights and the guarantee that government had no right to redistribute your property. This would be the height of tyranny in their eyes and mine. This county is being destroyed by the anti capitalists. It has gotten to the point that we can not even defend ourselves against violent attack if it is viewed by some to be done by or for those that are "less fortunate" than us.

E Archer, NYC

This really boils it down. The People need to remember that even when one assault by the rich is won, another will follow, and another and another. Our government is designed to thwart the power plays of the ruling class.

Robert, Sarasota

…and the war is getting closer, unless we radically change our attitude, behavior, and philosophy then war is inevitable. I hear people discuss capitalism as if it were being attacked by the anti-capitalists – well, all I can say is that the Capitalists are definitely winning the battle. Please, please, don’t tell me that the disparity between the rich and the poor is the fault of the anti-capitalists and that if there were no checks and balances against capitalistic greed that it would benefit the poor. That’s If America is not careful we will change mobocracy of the capitalists to mobocracy of the poor and they will not need the capitalists to survive. We decide to divert valuable funds $30B to the Middle East to prop up support US ally’s and sell $20B in arms to Saudi while we cut the measly budget that provides children with healthcare coverage.

Anonymous, Georgetown SC

When one takes a part of the wages that someone else earns, it's stealing whether legal or illegal. It isn't the pockets of the politicians that money for the poor is coming from..It's from those who worked to make life better for themselves. I'm as poor as a church mouse but I don't take anything from anybody..If i don't earn it, I don't deserve it. Bonbon

J Carlton, Calgary

Archer, While the government was "designed" to thwart the power plays of the ruling class, they have come full circle. Its not you and I that they represent now, its the ruling class. And the "ruling" class rules the government itself. The White House is now merely the stage for the puppet show run by...yup! International bankers. The same ones slowly and deliberately destroying the economy. I think it was nathan Rothschild who alluded to control of currency being control of all...

jim k, austin

"The poor against the rich", class warfare promoted by "progressives" and the battle cry is always "soak the rich."

Justin, Elkland, Missouri

.... and so it has been.

Anonymous, Reston, VA, US

The rich are in it for no one but themselves, abusing and taking advantage of all others for their own personal gain. It is the underdogs, the poor who need the extra measure of protection not the rich, for the rich would not be rich but for the advanage they take of others (in one form or another).

J Carlton, Calgary

Anonymous Ottawa...although I do agree with you, we would do well to clean up our own back yard before throwing stones. Canada is allowing all the same things.

Anonymous
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  • Reply
    Anonymous    5/27/09

    Reston....are you saying we should all share the wealth? Like "good" communists? Its fascism...not wealth that is the problem.

    warren, olathe

    What about the constitution being set aside by the Supreme Court? I am sure the idea of that happening was totally alien and unthinkable to him. After all what personal gain does a justice have for ignoring the constitution? Only one thing and that is the pursuit of an agenda contrary to that of the founders of this country.

    Ken, Allyn, WA

    The answer to Justice Field is that the course of usurpation will never cease. He like so many others understood and understand that the eventual outcome of lawlessness is utter tyranny. It is understood because we have so many examples of it and any good student of history knows the eventual outcome. The progressives' modus operandi is rule by any means; if not by consent, then by conquest. And Robert, I agree that war and open revolt is dreadfully becoming more likely the further we progress to the lawlessness of the fascisti. It is no accident that enough arms and ammunition have been sold to private citizens in the US in the last year to supply the Indian and Chinese armies. The people will not be victims of freeloading looters and moochers.

    Bill, Williamsburg, VA

    The progressives got real control in the early 20th century. The first step to maintaining their power was to pit the haves against the have-nots, while protecting their own personal interests. If you were rich and had the good sense to ally with them, you got special dispensations. If not rich, then you were lead to believe the obnoxious rich folks were getting carrying all the weight. Look at all the rich politicians of the period who "hated" the rich. (See Theodore Roosevelt) Now the ruse continues.

    jim k, Austin

    Reston, once again you prove that you are nuts. How on earth did Michael Dell and Bill gates get rich by taking advantage of the poor? They've created thousands of jobs to keep people out of poverty. Poor people don't create jobs, rich people do.

    Ronw13, USA

    The poor North suffering from economic down turns prior to 1861. Succession of the southern States looming. Funding of a war machine needed badly by the North. Considering the Southern States doing well, with their Agrarian life styles, food and natural resources at their disposal. Old dishonest Ab instituted the personal direct income tax, by way of Congress. Constructive Fraud committed against We the People. And the birth of the IRS ! 1861/1862 tax acts. To be done away with in 1866. Ha ! never happened did it. The taxing machine with inflationary tactics through a centralized banking system owned by despotic foreign interest, ever waiting for more intervention into foreign nations and their political internal struggles. What a crook of S&^it. Being a good capitalist as I am, seeing the Value of Independence, coupled with a high level of skill, playing the harlot through Corp Privilege, puts a bad taste in a managers mouth, who, being guided by a sound conscience, sees the oppression of labor for sake of Privilege, granted by the very monster we seek to avoid from feeding. To freely become a " Withholding Agent " for the state or federal government, is to commit Treason against the founding principles of this once Free Republic, Now under siege !! Perpetual wars and rumors of wars. Empirical agendas funded by the very enemy within the ranks of power. Returning the Sovereign Individual to a state of slavery, bound with the same chains, that were thrown off to begin with, The internal war of resistance against oppression, and its inevitability to return. It is Time to RISE UP, for the Sacred cause of Liberty once again. For our posterity sake. All our Children's, children deserve the chance of True Liberty, coupled with the responsibility of success and failure !! A rich life, filled with rewards granted by our Creator and his natural laws of cause and effect. Governed with all honesty, demanded, of the servant appointed to leadership. ! Rich people do not create jobs, Jim, rich is a private term to compare, one to another. It is the Independence accomplished by the individual, that allows those lesser, to have shared opportunity to learn and grow to adulthood of being an Independent Sovereign. To many little kings and queens, think to highly of themselves, comparing themselves among themselves saying they are wise. Mostly in their own conceit ! Contempt of socialism and Arrogance of Fascism.

    Robert, Somewhere in Europe

    What's our position today: The military and arms manufactures, and the industries of finance and wealth management, healthcare and pharma, legal, municipalities, real estate ponzi scheme, insurance, the retail business, student loan racketeer, and last but not least, the sporting conglomerate. Not one of these actual produce a widget - The destruction of the middle class was achieved without a drop of blood being shed. The social playground today is made up of the rich and minimum wage earners, and that's how the rich like it! The middle class was a strong opposition to the rich and held them in check, but now they no longer exist, the capitalists/rich are in total control. Many of the rich today have made their money from all these ponzi schemes. This is why there will be a revolution in the US as this situation will only get worse, and when the people have nothing left to lose, they lose it! The capitalists are taking everything from the poor and please don't give me that bull+*$% about the rich providing jobs. This situation can be repaired if achieved rapidly by decentralizing the banking system, terminating the Federal Reserve, doing away with the Patriot Act, CIA and FBI, having a single payer health care system, campaign reform (politicians not being allowed to accept any private or corporate funding), cutting our military in half, closing all the US bases abroad, getting out of the middle east and all armed conflicts abroad, bringing back Glass Steagall, terminating NAFTA, TPP and other egregious trade agreements (there is nothing free about these agreements), rebuilding our infrastructure, creating a nation wide high speed transit system, funding small businesses, reforming our educational system, and much, much more. Unless we change as a nation, as a people, our thinking, we will continue down the road of self destruction. We must become holistic in all things and kind and compassionate human beings.

    Is the US a lost cause:
    I think the US may be a lost cause - it has lost much of its constitution, its moral and ethical principles, its integrity, its intellect, its industry, its human rights, its compassion, its empathy, and its love. We have replaced all that for the Patriot Act, our loss liberty, and a plutocracy because we are dumb, drones, and incapable of critical thinking. If we are to recover, we need to scrap the current political system (which is corrupt to its core) and totally rewrite a constitution that will be held in perpetuity for all its people. And socially, we must rewrite how we live together; we must rewrite our educational system (which presently provides fodder and drones for the corporate elite), and we must each become responsible for the actions of our representatives. Unless we make these drastic changes America will undoubtedly implode, unfortunately, it will take much of humanity down in the process. Politicians (who are just puppets), bankers (who are gangsters), corporate elite (who are the NWO), a few wealthy families (the Rothschild’s, etc.) need to go, they need to be identified and imprisoned for crimes against humanity.

    E Archer, NYC

    It is a grave mistake to simply generalize the 'poor' and the 'rich' in opposition to each other. This is precisely what the rulers promote to keep the people blaming each other.

    It's the man behind the curtain!! Sheesh wake up, progressives! You are being used (because the lower classes are kept dumb) and easily manipulated by propaganda. Where is there capitalism? No where except in the free market -- of which, there is less and less. What is being ignored is the SYSTEM of debt as money -- a Western central banking tactic -- that is in fact trying to take over the economies of all the world, the Middle East being the last to fall into line as they still use gold as money and where usury (charging interest on debt) is forbidden in Islam. Wars are a product of the central banks, which can print up all the money in the world (and essentially have).

    Stop blaming the rich! Blame all the government employees and corporate employees that regulate human labor as if inter-state commerce. By defining people as commercial entities, people are subject to reams and reams of commercial regulations that were never intended to be applied to individual citizens laboring for their compensation.

    The game is fixed! It is rigged in such a way that the more productive we are, the more debt we hold. It is just one giant Ponzi scheme. And this is what the wars are really being fought over -- the final control of the world's money supply by a handful of central bankers who end up holding the debts of the entire world in their hands!!!!!!! If the 'poor' really understood the system that oppresses them, and knew who the players really were, the revolution would begin.

    Americans need to turn off the boob tube, and think, for a change. Hypocrisy has become so universally acceptable, that we have no honor upon which to keep firm our free republic.

    BE SPECIFIC! The rich or poor are not the enemy, as there will always be someone with more and less, always. The enemy is the SYSTEM and all those that make their living from it -- YOU very well are part of that system if you act in accordance with it and demand that everyone else does to.

    Take some GD responsibility!! Stop pointing the finger at someone else other than yourself, Robert! NO problem was ever solved by blaming others. Stop feeding the beast -- fight!

    @

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