A sound American is simply one who has put out of his mind all doubts and questionings, and who accepts instantly, and as incontrovertible gospel, the whole body of official doctrine of his day, whatever it may be and no matter how often it may change. The instant he challenges it, no matter how timorously and academically, he ceases by that much to be a loyal and creditable citizen of the republic.

In any combat between a rogue and a fool the sympathy of mankind is always with the rogue.

Congress consists of one-third, more or less, scoundrels; two-thirds, more or less, idiots; and three-thirds, more or less, poltroons.

It is the fundamental theory of all the more recent American law...that the average citizen is half-witted, and hence not to be trusted to either his own devices or his own thoughts.

Man is a natural polygamist: he always has one woman leading him by the nose, and another hanging on to his coattails.

The most common of all follies is to believe in the palpably untrue.

At eight or nine, I suppose intelligence is no more than a small spot of light on the floor of a large and murky room.