H. L. Mencken Quotes

H. L. Mencken — American Writer born on September 12, 1880, died on January 29, 1956

Henry Louis "H. L." Mencken was a German-American journalist, satirist, cultural critic and scholar of American English. Known as the "Sage of Baltimore", he is regarded as one of the most influential American writers and prose stylists of the first half of the twentieth century. As a scholar Mencken is known for The American Language, a multi-volume study of how the English language is spoken in the United States. His satirical reporting on the Scopes trial, which he dubbed the "Monkey Trial", also earned him notoriety. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians and contemporary movements... (wikipedia)

Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.

Each party steals so many articles of faith from the other, and the candidates spend so much time making each other's speeches, that by the time election day is past there is nothing much to do save turn the sitting rascals out and let a new gang in.

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.

Whenever a husband and wife begin to discuss their marriage they are giving evidence at a coroner's inquest.

In war the heroes always outnumber the soldiers ten to one.