"He was not pious. He drank whiskey whenever he felt chilly, and kept a jug of it handy. He knew far more profanity than Scripture, and used and enjoyed it more. He had no belief in the infallible wisdom of the lower classes, but regarded them as inflammatory dolts, and tried to save the republic from them. He took no interest in the private morals of his neighbors."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Humorists from the United StatesEssayists from the United StatesJournalists from the United StatesColumnists from the United StatesHistorians from the United States
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Chapter 9, “A Sort of Heathen Missionary” (p. 217; of George Washington)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/H._L._Mencken
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
H. L. Mencken
Henry Louis Mencken (12 September 1880 – 29 January 1956), known as H. L. Mencken, was a twentieth-century journalist, satirist, social critic, cynic, and freethinker, known as the "Sage of Baltimore" and the "American Nietzsche". He is often regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the early 20th century.
237 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by H. L. Mencken →
Related Quotes
"Mowa pospolita, pospolicie prawdziwa."
"One hears murmurs against Mussolini on the ground that he is a desperado: the real objection to him is that he is a p…"
"When women kiss, it always reminds one of prize-fighters shaking hands."
"Creator — A comedian whose audience is afraid to laugh."
"A man who has throttled a bad impulse has at least some consolation in his agonies, but a man who has throttled a goo…"
"The Jews could be put down very plausibly as the most unpleasant race ever heard of. As commonly encountered they lac…"
"In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for. As for me, I rejoice that I am not a Re…"
"Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under."
"Theology — An effort to explain the unknowable by putting it into terms of the not worth knowing."
"To a clergyman lying under a vow of chastity any act of sex is immoral, but his abhorrence of it naturally increases …"