--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Public money ought to be touched with the…" description: "\"Public money ought to be touched with the most scrupulous conscientiousness of honor. It is not the produce of riches only, but of the hard earnings of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac9/thomas-paine-267_beggar_public-money-ought-to-be-touched-with-th_483299.png" --- # Public money ought to be touched with the most scrupulous… ![“Public money ought to be touched with the most scrupulous conscientiousness of honor. It is not the produce of riches only, but of the hard earnings of labor and poverty. It is drawn even from the bitterness of want and misery. Not a beggar passes, or perishes in the streets, whose mite is not in…” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac9/thomas-paine-267_beggar_public-money-ought-to-be-touched-with-th_483299.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac9/thomas-paine-267_beggar_public-money-ought-to-be-touched-with-th_483299.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac9/thomas-paine-267_beggar_public-money-ought-to-be-touched-with-th_483299.png) > “Public money ought to be touched with the most scrupulous conscientiousness of honor. It is not the produce of riches only, but of the hard earnings of labor and poverty. It is drawn even from the bitterness of want and misery. Not a beggar passes, or perishes in the streets, whose mite is not in that mass.” [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public funds must be handled with utmost integrity because they come from the labor of the poor, not just wealth. **In simple terms:** Handle public money with great care. Key Takeaway Guard public resources diligently. Themes integrity public finance social justice Mood serious reflective Type ethical political When to use this quote - government budgeting - tax collection - social welfare programs - charitable distribution Key Concepts ethical stewardship economic equity Questions to Reflect On - How can transparency be ensured? - What safeguards protect the poor’s contributions? A Different Perspective Public money can be misused despite good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beggar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beggar/) [Bitterness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitterness/) [Conscientiousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscientiousness/) [Conscientiousness Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscientiousness-honor-4152170/) [Earning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earning/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Money Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-ought-532736/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Produce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/produce/) [Public money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-money/) [Riches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riches/) [Riches Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riches-hard-4152171/) [Scrupulous Conscientiousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scrupulous-conscientiousness-4152169/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Touched](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/touched/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [Public money ought to be touched with the most scrupulous consciousness of honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/public-money-ought-to-be-touched-with-the-most-scrupulous/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“War is the common harvest of all those who participate in the division and expenditure of public money, in all countries. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/war-is-the-common-harvest-of-all-those-who-participate-in-the/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [When capital comes into our own countries, it ought to be for, you know, a longer-term investment. If it's extremely short, hot money, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-l-evans/when-capital-comes-into-our-own-countries-it-ought-to-be-for-you-know/) [Charles L. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-l-evans/) > [We need money, for sure, Athenians, and without money nothing can be done that ought to be done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/we-need-money-for-sure-athenians-and-without-money-nothing-can-be/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [As a general rule, nobody has money who ought to have it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/as-a-general-rule-nobody-has-money-who-ought-to-have-it/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [We give the military money, it ought to be to kick rears, break things, and come home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-gohmert/we-give-the-military-money-it-ought-to-be-to-kick-rears-break-things/) [Louie Gohmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-gohmert/) > [ Experience, however, shows that neither a state nor a bank ever have \[sic\] had the unrestricted power of issuing paper money without abusing that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/experience-however-shows-that-neither-a-state-nor-a-bank-ever-have/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > ['We have the right as individuals to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but as members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/we-have-the-right-as-individuals-to-give-away-as-much-of-our-own-2/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [Everybody is entitled to believe. Churches have exactly the same right to exist as a football club, a trade union or a political party.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/everybody-is-entitled-to-believe-churches-have-exactly-the-same-right/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [“All the mega corporations on the planet make their obscene profits off the labor and suffering of others, with complete disregard for the effects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hureaux-perez/all-the-mega-corporations-on-the-planet-make-their-obscene-profits/) [Michael Hureaux-Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hureaux-perez/) > [If the government is injecting public money, it should also take the right to oversee board appointments, executive pay, and future business operations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/if-the-government-is-injecting-public-money-it-should-also-take-the/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) > [We have the right as individuals to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but as members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-crockett/we-have-the-right-as-individuals-to-give-away-as-much-of-our-own/) [Davy Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-crockett/) > [Under our scheme of government the waste of public money is a crime against the citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/under-our-scheme-of-government-the-waste-of-public-money-is-a-crime/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/people-must-again-learn-to-work-instead-of-living-on-public-assistance/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [Obama's the one who never worked a day in his life. He never earned a penny that wasn't public money. How many fund-raisers does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ailes/obama-s-the-one-who-never-worked-a-day-in-his-life-he-never-earned-a/) [Roger Ailes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ailes/) ## More by Thomas Paine > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [The book called the Bible has been voted by men, and decreed by human laws to be the word of God; and the disbelief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-book-called-the-bible-has-been-voted-by-men-and-decreed-by-human/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [One would think that a system loaded with such gross and vulgar absurdities as Scripture religion is could never have obtained credit; yet we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/one-would-think-that-a-system-loaded-with-such-gross-and-vulgar/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Commerce diminishes the spirit, both of patriotism and military defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/commerce-diminishes-the-spirit-both-of-patriotism-and-military-defence/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What is it the Bible teaches us? - raping, cruelty, and murder. What is it the New Testament teaches us? - to believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-is-it-the-bible-teaches-us-raping-cruelty-and-murder-what-is-it/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/those-who-expect-to-reap-the-blessings-of-freedom-must-like-men/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“It has been the practice of all Christian commentators on the Bible, and of all Christian priests and preachers, to impose the Bible on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/it-has-been-the-practice-of-all-christian-commentators-on-the-bible/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [But there are times when men have serious thoughts, and it is at such times, when they begin to think, that they begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/but-there-are-times-when-men-have-serious-thoughts-and-it-is-at-such/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Wisdom is not the purchase of a day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/wisdom-is-not-the-purchase-of-a-day/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Our citizenship in the United States is our national character. Our citizenship in any particular state is only our local distinction. By the latter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/our-citizenship-in-the-united-states-is-our-national-character-our/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Suspicion is the companion of mean souls, and the bane of all good society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/suspicion-is-the-companion-of-mean-souls-and-the-bane-of-all-good/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“To pass from the extremes of danger to safety-from the tumult of war to the tranquility of peace, though sweet in contemplation, requires a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-pass-from-the-extremes-of-danger-to-safety-from-the-tumult-of-war/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What more does man want to know than that the hand or power that made these things is divine, is omnipotent? Let him believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-more-does-man-want-to-know-than-that-the-hand-or-power-that-made/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) [Explore all 772 Thomas Paine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## More Beggar quotes > [If some beggar steals a bridle he'll be hung by a man who's stolen a horse. There's no surer justice in the world than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peire-cardenal/if-some-beggar-steals-a-bridle-he-ll-be-hung-by-a-man-who-s-stolen-a/) [Peire Cardenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peire-cardenal/) > [Literary tradition is full of lies about poverty-the jolly beggar, the poor but happy milkmaid, the wholesome diet of porridge, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/literary-tradition-is-full-of-lies-about-poverty-the-jolly-beggar-the/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“Why remain polite but powerless, in love but a beggar?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/why-remain-polite-but-powerless-in-love-but-a-beggar/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [Don't be doubtful to your goals or else you will end up your life as a beggar, keep faith on yourself and you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athar-azeem/don-t-be-doubtful-to-your-goals-or-else-you-will-end-up-your-life-as/) [Athar Azeem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athar-azeem/) > [Poets and beggars, musicians and prophets, warriors and scoundrels, all creatures of that unbridled reality, we have had to ask but little of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/poets-and-beggars-musicians-and-prophets-warriors-and-scoundrels-all/) [Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/) > [Beggars fear no rebellion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/beggars-fear-no-rebellion/) [Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/proverb/) > [Hurrah for revolution and more cannon-shot! A beggar upon horseback lashes a beggar on foot. Hurrah for revolution and cannon come again! The beggars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/hurrah-for-revolution-and-more-cannon-shot-a-beggar-upon-horseback/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [You obviously don't know what an Old Man of the Sea great wealth is. It is not a fat purse and time to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/you-obviously-don-t-know-what-an-old-man-of-the-sea-great-wealth-is/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Make of the Silence your to-do tasks, of the compassion your wealth and of the meditation your beggar's bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/make-of-the-silence-your-to-do-tasks-of-the-compassion-your-wealth/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [Nobody but a beggar chooses to depend chiefly upon the benevolence of his fellow-citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/nobody-but-a-beggar-chooses-to-depend-chiefly-upon-the-benevolence-of/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [All religions have honored the beggar. For he proves that in a matter at the same time as prosaic and holy, banal and regenerative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/all-religions-have-honored-the-beggar-for-he-proves-that-in-a-matter/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [I'll not meddle with it. It makes a man a coward: a man cannot steal but it accuseth him; a man cannot swear but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-ll-not-meddle-with-it-it-makes-a-man-a-coward-a-man-cannot-steal/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A beggar through the world am I, From place to place I wander by. Fill up my pilgrim's scrip for me, For Christ's sweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/a-beggar-through-the-world-am-i-from-place-to-place-i-wander-by-fill/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [The bashful beggar has an empty purse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cranch-bond/the-bashful-beggar-has-an-empty-purse/) [William Cranch Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cranch-bond/) > [“A coin is examined, and only after careful deliberation, given to a beggar, whereas a child is flung out into the cosmic brutality without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/a-coin-is-examined-and-only-after-careful-deliberation-given-to-a/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) [Browse all 455 Beggar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beggar/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Public money ought to be touched with the most scrupulous conscientiousness of honor. 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