Lincoln Steffens Quotes

Author Image

Lincoln Steffens

Profession : Journalist

Birth : April 6, 1866

The commercial spirit is the spirit of profit, not patriotism; of credit, not honor; of individual gain, not national prosperity; of trade and dickering, not principle.

Lincoln Steffens

If we would leave parties to the politicians, and would vote not for the party, not even for men, but for the city, and the State, and the nation, we should rule parties, and cities, and States, and nation.

Lincoln Steffens

The misgovernment of the American people is misgovernment by the American people.

Lincoln Steffens

Whenever anything extraordinary is done in American municipal politics, whether for good or for evil, you can trace it almost invariably to one man. The people do not do it. Neither do the 'gangs,' 'combines,' or political parties.

Lincoln Steffens

Boston has carried the practice of hypocrisy to the n-th degree of refinement, grace, and failure.

Lincoln Steffens

We need some great failures. Especially we ever-successful Americans - conscious, intelligent, illuminating failures.

Lincoln Steffens

Revolt is not reform, and one revolutionary administration is not good government.

Lincoln Steffens

I am really puzzled to understand myself.

Lincoln Steffens

The longer I live, the more I feel that the individual is not so much to blame - not even the worst individuals, not even the 'best' citizens - as the system of corruption which has grown up about us, and which rewards an honest man with a mere living and a crook with all the magnificence of our magnificent modern life.

Lincoln Steffens

Most men think graft a sporadic evil, breaking out here and there, with no connection between outbreaks. I shared the same opinion, but very soon I discovered that the graft in the cities always leads to the graft in the State.

Lincoln Steffens

The typical American citizen is the business man. The typical business man is a bad citizen; he is busy. If he is a 'big business man' and very busy, he does not neglect; he is busy with politics, oh, very busy and very businesslike.

Lincoln Steffens

If our political leaders are to be always a lot of political merchants, they will supply any demand we may create. All we have to do is to establish a steady demand for good government.

Lincoln Steffens

The Soviet government sprouted and grew out of the habits, the psychology, and the condition of the Russian people. It fitted them. They understand it.

Lincoln Steffens

If my father could watch my son for a while, he might realize his own immortality.

Lincoln Steffens

My father required me to honor my father and my mother too much to put up games on them. I did on occasion.

Lincoln Steffens

My father was slower, but he was severer than my mother, who was quick but light and irregular in discipline.

Lincoln Steffens

My father seemed always to know not only what I was doing, but what I was being.

Lincoln Steffens