Government Quotes
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
"You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down."— Abraham Lincoln
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Meaning of this quote
The maxim argues against improving workers’ circumstances by harming those who pay wages.
Key takeaway:
Assess a proposal’s effects on both workers and employers.
Origin of the quote
William J. H. Boetcker’s Ten Cannots, first published in 1916.
Who actually said this?
Likely misattributedCongressional records identify Boetcker rather than Lincoln as the author of these maxims. The post is a familiar wording variant of one item.
