A free citizen in a free state, it seems to me, has an inalienable right to play with whomsoever he will, so long as he does not disturb the general peace. If any other citizen, offended by the spectacle, makes a pother, then that other citizen, and not the man exercising his inalienable right, should be put down by the police.

It is a peculiarity of the American mind that it regards any excursion into the truth as an adventure into cynicism.

Our literature, despite several false starts that promised much, is chiefly remarkable, now as always, for its respectable mediocrity.

The editors are committed to nothing save this: to keep common sense as fast as they can, to belabor sham as agreeably as possible, to give civilized entertainment.

For the habitual truth-teller and truth-seeker, indeed, the whole world has very little liking. He is always unpopular.

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

Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule—and both commonly succeed, and are right.