These Tea Party Constitutionalist, or should I say revisionists need to spend more time with their heads in books than in the sand. The "con" men of today have thrusted upon the public their historical envisionment of what our founders wanted.
We hear this call from the "con"servative media and politician, that we need to get back to our founding principles. Unfortunately for them, the founding principles side with the progressives.
In previous posts, I have pointed out that Thomas Painewanted a social safety net, like social security. Now I have come across a law written in 1798 passed by Congress and signed by the President.
This law named, An act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen was written by the authors of the Constitution, so they didn't need the CATO Institute or the Heritage foundation to interpret the founding document.
§ 3. That it shall be the duty of the several collectors to make a quarterly return of the sums collected by them, respectively, by virtue of this act, to the secretary of the treasury ; and the president of the United States is hereby authorized, out of the same, to provide for the temporary relief and maintenance of sick, or disabled seamen, in the hospitals or other proper institutions now established in the several ports of the United States, or in ports where no such institutions exist, then in such other manner as he shall direct:Provided, that the moneys collected in any one district, shall be expended within the same.
So out of the said tax, the federal government provided healthcare for the sick and disabled seamen. Sounds like socialized insurance. The money collected from EVERY sailor helped the sick and/or disabled seamen.
§4. That if any surplus shall remain of the moneys to be collected by virtue of this act, after defraying the expense of such temporary relief and support, that the same, together with such private donations as may be made for that purpose, (which the president is hereby authorized to receive,) shall be invested in the stock of the United States, under the direction of the president; and when, in his opinion, a sufficient fund shall be accumulated, he is hereby authorized to purchase or receive cessions or donations of ground or buildings, in the name of the United States, and to cause buildings, when necessary, to be erected as hospitals for the accommodation of sick and disabled seamen.
Also according to this act, the President had the auhority to purchase land and build hospitals to care for the sick.
§ 5. That the president of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to nominate and appoint, in such ports of the United States as he may think proper, one or more persons, to be called directors of the marine hospital of the United States, whose duty it shall be to direct the expenditure of the fund assigned for their respective ports, according to the third section of this act; to provide for the accommodation of sick and disabled seamen, under such general instructions as shall be given by the president of the United States for that purpose, and also, subject to the like general instructions, to direct and govern such hospitals, as the president may direct to be built in the respective ports.
There you have it. Our founding principles were to care for the sick through taxation of private industry. Now I am sure there will be those on the right proclaiming that not EVERYONE was covered under this law.
This may be true, but the trade and shipping industry was a critical part of our nation's economy in 1798. If many sailors got sick or injured the Captain of the ship couldn't make money, thus cripple our economy due to lack of trade.
The real point is, did our founders believe in a federal government mandate to insure the sailors. Yes!
Did the federal government collectively take care of the sick through taxation? YES!
Let's push for single payer in this Country, and stick to our FOUNDING PRINCIPLES!