Congress consists of one-third, more or less, scoundrels; two-thirds, more or less, idiots; and three-thirds, more or less, poltroons.
H. L. MenckenThe true function of art is to criticize, embellish and edit natureโฆ the artist is a sort of impassioned proof-reader, blue penciling the bad spelling of God.
H. L. MenckenThe government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office. Their principal device to that end is to search out groups who pant and pine for something they can't get and to promise to give it to them. Nine times out of ten that promise is worth nothing. The tenth time is made good by looting A to satisfy B. In other words, government is a broker in pillage, and every election is sort of an advance auction sale of stolen goods.
H. L. MenckenThe fact is that the average man's love of liberty is nine-tenths imaginary, exactly like his love of sense, justice and truth.
H. L. MenckenThe storm center of lawlessness in every American State is the State Capitol. It is there that the worst crimes are committed; it is there that lawbreaking attains to the estate and dignity of a learned profession; it is there that contempt for the laws is engendered, fostered, and spread broadcast.
H. L. Mencken