Quote by H. L. Mencken, The Library

The legislature, like the executive, has ceased to be even the creature of the people: it is the creature of pressure groups, and most of them, it must be manifest, are of dubious wisdom and even more dubious honesty. Laws are no longer made by a rational process of public discussion; they are made by a process of blackmail and intimidation, and they are executed in the same manner. The typical lawmaker of today is a man wholly devoid of principle

The legislature, like the executive, has ceased to be even t

Summary

This quote criticizes modern legislatures and argues that they are no longer representatives of the people but instead puppets controlled by pressure groups with questionable wisdom and honesty. It suggests that laws are no longer created through rational public discussion but rather through blackmail and intimidation. Furthermore, it portrays today's lawmakers as lacking principles. Overall, the quote highlights the speaker's disillusionment with the functioning of contemporary legislatures, implying a deterioration of democratic processes.

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By H. L. Mencken, The Library

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