Business Quote by Caroline Fraser
““And again, there was little help forthcoming. Minnesota had a new Republican governor, John Sargent Pillsbury, cofounder of the flour-milling enterprise that would eventually become one of the largest purveyors of foodstuffs in the world. Not above taking government assistance himself—as an official, he had his rent paid by the state—Pillsbury warned farmers against “weakening the habit of self-reliance.”82 To comfort the starving, he prescribed a day of prayer. Throughout his term, he would trivialize “poverty and deprivation” as “incidents of frontier life at its best.”83””
About This Quote
Source Book: “The Political Economy of the Frontier” by Caroline Fraser, 2023
The governor promoted self‑reliance while neglecting real aid, framing poverty as a natural frontier condition.
In simple terms: He praised independence but ignored practical help for the needy.
Key Takeaway
Self‑reliance should not replace compassionate support.
Themes
self‑reliance
poverty
government policy
frontier myth
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
historical
political
When to use this quote
- rural aid programs
- policy debates
- community support initiatives
Key Concepts
individualism
social responsibility
political rhetoric
Questions to Reflect On
- How does emphasizing self‑reliance affect public assistance?
- When is it appropriate to invoke cultural myths in policy?
A Different Perspective
Such rhetoric can justify neglect and worsen hardship.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)