Heywood Broun Quotes (1888-1939)

“In some respects, the life of a censor is more exhilarating than that of an emperor. The best the emperor can do is snip off the heads of men and women, who are mere mortals. The censor can decapitate ideas which but for him might have lived forever.”

“No one ever requires more than one glance to identify Babe Ruth. Even a wholly ignorant person who had never heard of him would probably stop in wonder at the sight of Babe waddling by. It must be clear to all beholders that here is some great, primitive force harking back to the dim days of the race. William Jennings Bryan might well look upon the Babe and recant. To be sure, a certain ingenuity was required to fit just the proper name upon this personality. As George Herman Ruth he might have gone far but he could hardly have reached the heights. The man who made him by the gift of "Babe" ought to draw a substantial royalty from Ruth's mighty income. But probably no single individual hit upon the happy thought. Undoubtably a mass movement was required. Babe Ruth has all the vigor and vitality of a piece of folk literature.”

“'Ping' was worth more to him than many base hits.[...] But the name could not confer immortality upon Bodie. He has passed out of the big show and today we read a one-line newspaper item under a San Francisco date line: "Ping Bodie has ben suspended for one day and fined $10 for punching a spectator." Sic transit gloria mundi. What could be more ignoble than a $10 fine? The mighty Babe Ruth is called upon to pay fifty times that amount for doing no more than throw sand at an umpire. It is a little as if Attilla, the notorious, should be cited for disorderly conduct and required to report regularly to a probation officer.”