The Founders also warned that the only way for the
nation to prosper was to have equal protection of "rights,"
and not allow the government to get involved in trying to
provide equal distribution of "things." They also warned
against the pooling of property as advocated by the
proponents of communism. Samuel Adams said they had
done everything possible to make the ideas of socialism and
communism unconstitutional. Said he:
"The Utopian schemes of leveling [re-distribution of
the wealth and a community of goods [central ownership
of the means of production and distribution], are as
visionary and impractical as those which vest all
property in the Crown. [These ideas] are arbitrary,
despotic, and, in our government, unconstitutional."
(William V. Wells,
The Life and Public Services of Samuel
Adams
, 3 volumes, Little, Brown and Company, Boston,
1865, 1:154.)