Mary Starrett -- Davy Crocket to Bono: "It's Not Yours To Give"

Mary Starrett -- Davy Crocket to Bono:

"It's Not Yours To Give":

"In the early 1800's Congress was considering a bill to give tax dollars to the widow of a well-loved military officer. Davy Crockett rose to address Congress after many speeches advocating the allocation. He said: “Mr. Speaker…. I will not go into an argument to prove that Congress has no power to appropriate this money as an act of charity. Every member upon this floor knows it.

We have the right, as individuals to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity, but as members of Congress we have no right to so appropriate a dollar of the public money. We have no…. authority to appropriate it as a charity.

I cannot vote for this bill, but I will give one week's pay, and if every member of Congress will do the same, it will amount to more than the bill asks.”"

MORE...