POVERTY, n. A file provided for the teeth of the rats of reform. The n… — The Devil's Dictionary

The Devil's Dictionary — Ambrose Bierce

POVERTY, n. A file provided for the teeth of the rats of reform. The number of plans for its abolition equals that of the reformers who suffer from it, plus that of the philosophers who know nothing about it. Its victims are distinguished by possession of all the virtues and by their faith in leaders seeking to conduct them into a prosperity where they believe these to be unknown.

Place: ¶1228
License: Public domain · Source
The text is given as in the edition, unedited.

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