"All systems either of preference or of restraint, therefore, being thus completely taken away, the obvious and simple system of natural liberty establishes itself of its own accord. Every man, as long as he does not violate the laws of justice, is left perfectly free to pursue his own interest his own way, and to bring both his industry and capital into competition with those of any other man, or order of men. The sovereign is completely discharged from a duty, in the attempting to perform which no human wisdom or knowledge could ever be sufficient; the duty of superintending the industry of private people, and of directing it towards the employments most suitable to the interest of society._{" Adam Smith, The wealth of nations. Book 4, Chapter 9}

"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our necessities but of their advantages."  _{Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, Book I Chapter II p16}

As it is the power of exchanging that gives occasion to the division of labour, so the extent of this division must always be limited by the extent of that power, or, in other words, by the extent of the market. _{Adam Smith The Wealth of Nations, Vol. I Book I Chapter III p19}

"neither a state nor a bank ever has had unrestricted power of issuing paper money, without abusing that power; in all States, therefore, the issue of paper money ought to be under some check and control; and none seems so proper as that of subjecting the issuers of paper money to the obligation of paying their notes, either in gold coin or bullion."_{David Ricardo}

"the greatness of America has grown out of a political and social system and a method of control of economic forces distinctly its own - our American system - which has carried this great experiment in human welfare further than ever before in all history. We are nearer today to the ideal of the abolition of poverty and fear from the lives of men and women than ever before in any land" _{Herbert Hoover (future president) Oct 22, 1928}

"Liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmers, liquidate real estate. … It will purge the rottenness out of the system. High costs of living and high living will come down. People will work harder, live a more moral life. Values will be adjusted, and enterprising people will pick up from less competent people." _{The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover: 1929-1941, The Great Depression p30}

"the average man won't really do a day's work unless he is caught and cannot get out. There is plenty of work to do if people would do it. _{Henry Ford March 1931}

"This is not an issue as too whether people shall go hungry or cold in then United States. It is solely a question of the best method by which hunger and cold shall be prevented. It is a question of whether the American people...will maintain the spirit of charity and mutual self-help... as distinguished ... from appropriations out of the Federal Treasury for such purposes... If we break down this sense of responsibility and individual generosity ... in times of national difficulty and if we start appropriations of this character we have ... impaired something infinitely valuable in the life of the American people... Once this has happened... we are faced with the abyss of reliance in future upon government charity in one form or another. I am confident that our people have the resources, the initiative, the courage, the stamina and the kindliness of spirit to meet this situation in the way they have met their problems over generations." Herbert Hoover February 1931

"close, regular, predictable relationship between the quantity of money, national income, and prices..." _{Milton Friedman}