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.)