When philosophers try to be politicians they generally cease to be philosophers.

The man who raises new issues has always been distasteful to politicians. He musses up what had been so tidily arranged.

Politicians tend to live "in character," and many a public figure has come to imitate the journalism which describes him.

Successful democratic politicians are in secure and intimidated men. They advance politically only as they placate, appease, bribe, seduce, bamboozle, or otherwise manage to manipulate the demanding and threatening elements in their constituencies.

There comes a time when even the reformer is compelled to face the fairly widespread suspicion of the average man that politics is an exhibition in which there is much ado about nothing.

The first principle of a civilized state is that power is legitimate only when it is under contract.

The tendency of the casual mind is to pick out or stumble upon a sample which supports or defies its prejudices, and then to make it the representative of a whole class.

In government offices which are sensitive to the vehemence and passion of mass sentiment public men have no sure tenure. They are in effect perpetual office seekers, always on trial for their political lives, always required to court their restless constituents.

Unless the reformer can invent something which substitutes attractive virtues for attractive vices, he will fail.

Men fall into a routine when they are tired and slack: it has all the appearance of activity with few of its burdens.