If my father could watch my son for a while, he might realize his own immortality. 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. By Anonym 13 Sep. “Lincoln Steffens speaking”, Letter to Marie Howe, 3 Apr. Share. A turn-of-the-century muckraker named Lincoln Steffens understood the true problem with a “throw the bums out” strategy Boss Tweed and the Tammany Ring, caricatured by Thomas Nast, c. … Lincoln Steffens Quotes. . “Art is like a border of flowers along the course of civilization.” -- Lincoln Steffens. Power is what men seek, and any group that gets it will abuse it. Improve yourself, find your inspiration, share with friends, Lincoln Steffens (2012). Up; Mother; Father; Honor; Previous; Next; Quotes to Explore. There isn't in all the world a perfect railroad, nor a good government, nor a sound law. The only thing worth having in an earthly existence is a sense of humor. Sit around the bars and drink, and pose, and pretend, all you want to, but in reality, … Like. Free Daily Quotes. Lincoln Steffens (1866-1936), U.S. writer, editor. 8 Lincoln Steffens quotes: "Morality is only moral when it is voluntary." Like in every peace process, and especially in Colombia, there all kinds of problems that will come through. — Lincoln Steffens. In all cities, the better classes - the business men - are the sources of corruption, but they are so rarely pursued and caught that we do not fully realize whence the trouble comes. Share. Whenever anything extraordinary is done in American municipal politics, whether for good or for evil, you can trace it almost invariably to one man. Physics has not yet found any indivisible matter, or … Power is what men seek and any group that gets it will abuse it. My father made with me one serious mistake which I see parents about me making. 0 0. class quotes. I did on occasion. 1919. Explore some of Lincoln Steffens best quotations and sayings on Quotes.net -- such as 'Power is what men seek, and any group that gets it will abuse it. Author: Steffens Quotes Category: American Journalist Quotes "Chicago will give you a chance. “The Autobiography of Lincoln Steffens”, p.126, Heyday, Lincoln Steffens (2012). Propaganda Ever Most. It is possible to get an education at a university. Lincoln Steffens Morality is only moral when it is voluntary. Lincoln Steffens Quotes. Lincoln Steffens. “The Shame of the Cities”, p.6, Courier Corporation, Lincoln Steffens (1936). The politer the society, the greater the lies it requires. “The Autobiography of Lincoln Steffens”, p.434, Heyday, Lincoln Steffens (1937). Quoted in Steffens, Autobiography, ch. The better educated we are, the harder we believe in axioms. A quiet, impressive 'talking to' was all I got. It is our knowledge - the things we are sure of - that makes the world go wrong and keeps us from seeing and learning. ... quote from our Chance Quotes, Chicago Quotes, Short Quotes categories. The spirit of graft and of lawlessness is the American spirit. Quotes by "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 spirit of graft and of lawlessness is the American spirit. His work on police corruption in New York helped to defeat what was known as the Tammany machine's candidate for election as mayor in New York in 1894, and to elect William Strong instead, a reformist candidate. “The Shame of the Cities”, p.8, Courier Corporation, Lincoln Steffens (1931). Nothing is done. Lincoln Steffens. I let my boy go and do and say pretty much as he likes, as, and perhaps because, my father kept no string on me. If we would vote in mass on the more promising ticket, or, if the two are equally bad, would throw out the party that is in, and wait till the next election and then throw out the other party that is in - then, I say, the commercial politician would feel a demand for good government and he would supply it. Neither do the 'gangs,' 'combines,' or political parties. The people do not do it. At McClure's magazine, Steffens became part of the celebrated muckraking trio of himself, Ida Tarbell, and Ray Stannard Baker. “The Shame of the Cities”, p.163, Courier Corporation, Lincoln Steffens (1962). Lincoln Steffens Quotes and Sayings - Page 2. Especially we ever-successful Americans - conscious, intelligent, illuminating failures. The typical American citizen is the business man. Everything in the world remains to be done or done over. Lincoln Steffens. Why is it that the less intelligence people have, the more spiritual they are? My father was slower, but he was severer than my mother, who was quick but light and irregular in discipline. The misgovernment of the American people is misgovernment by the American people. May 13, 2011; He knew everyone and he went ­everywhere. Psychology, economics, and sociology are awaiting a Darwin, whose work in turn is awaiting an Einstein. Neither do the 'gangs,' 'combines,' or political parties. We can't help teaching you; you will ask that of us; but we are prone to teach you what we know, and I am going, now and again, to warn you: There is a mistake in the text of this quote. It has been done; not often. Lincoln Steffens. 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. Share. He specialised in investigating corruption in the government, which he detailed in a collection of articles published in his famous work, The Shames of the Cities. We know that there is no absolute knowledge, that there are only theories; but we forget this. He got himself somehow into the awkward position of an authority; I thought he knew and was right on everything - for a while. ", Lincoln Steffens (1931). Quote: Chicago will give you a chance. Top 10 Quotes of - Lincoln Steffens. … I have been contending all my life, and always with God. You can't control a young horse unless you control yourself. Follow AzQuotes on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. 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. I never heard a Christian sermon preached in a church. I shared the same opinion, but very soon I discovered that the graft in the cities always leads to the graft in the State. Usually he did nothing. Enjoy the best Lincoln Steffens quotes and picture quotes! The typical business man is a bad citizen; he is busy. The spirit of graft and of lawlessness is the American spirit. The Soviet government sprouted and grew out of the habits, the psychology, and the condition of the Russian people. The most pioneering Lincoln Steffens quotes that are new and everybody is talking about. Feb 2, 2015 - Lincoln Steffens quotes - Somebody must take a chance. Lincoln Joseph Steffens (April 6, 1866 – August 9, 1936) was a New York reporter who launched a series of articles in McClure's, called Tweed Days in St. Louis, that would later be published together in a book titled The Shame of the Cities. Topics in Uncategorized. It is the same story. First in violence, deepest in dirt, lawless, unlovely, ill-smelling, irreverent, new; an overgrown gawk of a - village, the "tough" among cities, a spectacle for the nation. If we would vote in mass on the more promising ticket, or, if the two are equally bad, would throw out the party that is in, and wait till the next election and then throw out the other party that is in - then, I say, the commercial politician would feel a demand for good government and he would supply it. Boston has carried the practice of hypocrisy to the n-th degree of refinement, grace, and failure. Remark to financier Bernard Baruch, on his return from the Soviet Union in 1919; he made the same remark in a letter, April 3, 1919. I have been over into the future, and it works. My father would invite me sweetly to come and sit on a stool at his feet, and, as I let myself trustingly down, he would gently kick the seat from under me - and laugh. And an educated mind is nothing but the God-given mind of a child after his parents' and his grandparents' generation have got through molding it. “The autobiography of Lincoln Steffens: abridged”, Lincoln Steffens (2012). Lincoln Steffens Quote: “In all cities, the better classes – the business men – are the sources of corruption, but they are so rarely pursued and caught that we … The current list of Lincoln Steffens quotes is no different. The Russian people, sober, are said to be a gentle people. I am really puzzled to understand myself. Quotes have been around for a long time and they always have been a simple but yet powerful way of expressing our feelings or changing our mood. Late into the night I would lie awake tossing and wondering what he was going to do to me. Every day we present the best quotes! 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. You ask men in office to be honest; I ask them to serve the public. Daily fun facts about this day in history, updates, and one revolutionary administration not... 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