“The worst government is often the most moral. One composed of cynics is often very tolerant and humane. But when fanatics are on top there is no limit to oppression.”

A sharp-eyed American journalist and satirist of the early 20th century, Mencken’s razor wit and unflinching critique of pretension defined the Baltimore Sun’s editorial pages. His essays and columns skewered political hypocrisy, cultural affectation, and the pretensions of the American mainstream, earning him a reputation as the era’s most fearless voice of skepticism.