Nine times out of ten, in the arts as in life, there is actually no truth to be discovered; there is only error to be exposed. H. L. Mencken More Quotes by H. L. Mencken More Quotes From H. L. Mencken All of the great patriots now engaged in edging and squirming their way toward the Presidency of the Republic run true to form. That is to say, they are all extremely wary, and all more or less palpable frauds. What they want, primarily, is the job; the necessary equipment of unescapable issues, immutable principles and soaring ideals can wait until it becomes more certain which way the mob will be whooping. H. L. Mencken issuesrunningjobs The typical lawmaker of today is a man wholly devoid of principle - a mere counter in a grotesque and knavish game. If the right pressure could be applied to him, he would be cheerfully in favor of polygamy, astrology or cannibalism. H. L. Mencken astrologygamesmen A man is called a good fellow for doing things which, if done by a woman, would land her in a lunatic asylum. H. L. Mencken landdonemen Government, in its very essence, is opposed to all increase in knowledge. Its tendency is always towards permanence and against change...[T]he progress of humanity, far from being the result of government, has been made entirely without its aid and in the face if its constant and bitter opposition. H. L. Mencken governmentessencehumanity Most people want security in this world, not liberty. H. L. Mencken libertyfreedompeople The plain fact is that education is itself a form of propaganda - a deliberate scheme to outfit the pupil, not with the capacity to weigh ideas, but with a simple appetite for gulping ideas ready-made. The aim is to make 'good' citizens, which is to say, docile and uninquisitive citizens. H. L. Mencken educationalsimpleideas Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of Jackals by Jackasses. H. L. Mencken democracies-havefreedomreligion Syllogisms а la mode - If you are against labor racketeers, then you are against the working man. If you are against demagogues, then you are against democracy. If you are against Christianity, then you are against God. If you are against trying a can of Old Dr. Quack's Cancer Salve, then you are in favor of letting Uncle Julius die. H. L. Mencken cancerunclesmen It is the natural tendency of the ignorant to believe what is not true. In order to overcome that tendency it is not sufficient to exhibit the true; it is also necessary to expose and denounce the false. H. L. Mencken ignorantorderbelieve College football is a game which would be much more interesting if the faculty played instead of the students, and even more interesting if the trustees played. There would be a great increase in broken arms, legs, and necks, and simultaneously an appreciable diminution in the loss to humanity. H. L. Mencken humorouslossfootball The best teacher of children, in brief, is one who is essentially childlike. H. L. Mencken best-teacherteacherchildren It is not materialism that is the chief curse of the world, as pastors teach, but idealism. Men get into trouble by taking their visions and hallucinations too seriously. H. L. Mencken visionmenworld When a new source of taxation is found it never means, in practice, that the old source is abandoned. It merely means that the politicians have two ways of milking the taxpayer where they had one before. H. L. Mencken practicetwomean Dachshund: A half-a-dog high and a dog-and-a-half long. H. L. Mencken dogfunnylong I believe in only one thing: liberty; but I do not believe in liberty enough to want to force it upon anyone. H. L. Mencken freedomwarpeace The only way for a reporter to look at a politician is down. H. L. Mencken politicianlooksway Nine out of ten Americans are actually monarchists at bottom. The fact is proved by their high suseptibility to political claims by president's sons and other relatives, usually nonentities. H. L. Mencken politicalgovernmentson My belief in free speech is so profound that I am seldom tempted to deny it to the other fellow. Nor do I make any effort to differentiate between the other fellow right and that other fellow wrong, for I am convinced that free speech is worth nothing unless it includes a full franchise to be foolish and even...malicious. H. L. Mencken effortspeechprofound The Old Testament, as everyone who has looked into it is aware, drips with blood; there is, indeed, no more bloody chronicle in all the literature of the world. H. L. Mencken biblicalbibleblood The ideal way to get rid of any infectious disease would be to shoot instantly every person who comes down with it. H. L. Mencken diseasewould-beway
