The practical politician, as every connoisseur of ochlocracy knows, is not a man who seeks to inoculate the innumerable caravan of voters with new ideas; he is a man who seeks to search out and prick into energy the basic…

Quote by Henry Louis Mencken

Topics: Politicians Quotes

Adultery is the application of democracy to love

Adultery is the application of democracy to love

Perhaps the most revolting character that the United States ever produced was the Christian business...

Perhaps the most revolting character that the United States ever produced was the Christian business...

When a new source of taxation is found it never means, in practice, that the...

When a new source of taxation is found it never means, in practice, that the...

Democratic man, as I have remarked, is quite unable to think of himself as a...

Democratic man, as I have remarked, is quite unable to think of himself as a...

Everyman is thoroughly happy twice in his life, just after he has met his first...

Everyman is thoroughly happy twice in his life, just after he has met his first...

Progress is the process whereby the human race is getting rid of whiskers, the veriform...

Progress is the process whereby the human race is getting rid of whiskers, the veriform...

A great literature is chiefly the product of inquiring minds in revolt against the immovable...

A great literature is chiefly the product of inquiring minds in revolt against the immovable...

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous...

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous...

Democracy is based upon so childish a complex of fallacies that they must be protected...

Democracy is based upon so childish a complex of fallacies that they must be protected...

A sense of humor always withers in the presence of the messianic delusion, like justice...

A sense of humor always withers in the presence of the messianic delusion, like justice...

An individual who forces himself to accept this or that idea, or who pretends to...

An individual who forces himself to accept this or that idea, or who pretends to...

There are two kinds of music; German music and bad music.

There are two kinds of music; German music and bad music.

Government is a broker in pillage, and every election is sort of an advance auction...

Government is a broker in pillage, and every election is sort of an advance auction...

The smallest atom of truth represents some man's bitter toil and agony; for every ponderable...

The smallest atom of truth represents some man's bitter toil and agony; for every ponderable...

Men become civilized not in proportion to their willingness to believe but in proportion to...

Men become civilized not in proportion to their willingness to believe but in proportion to...

How little it takes to make life unbearable: a pebble in the shoe, a cockroach...

How little it takes to make life unbearable: a pebble in the shoe, a cockroach...

The basic fact about human existence is not that it is a tragedy, but that...

The basic fact about human existence is not that it is a tragedy, but that...

The most dangerous man, to any government, is the man who Is able to think...

The most dangerous man, to any government, is the man who Is able to think...

Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.

Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.

The government must pursue a course of complete neutrality toward religion.

The government must pursue a course of complete neutrality toward religion.