August 16, 2025

There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it. That is the point at which…the end learns to justify the means.

Lord Acton (1834–1902), English historian, Life and Letters of Mandell Creighton (1904), in George Seldes, p.3

Are you a credit to the office you hold? Or a discredit? Can you define the difference?

I can think of worse, but it is indeed a heresy. Many more office holders have demeaned the office, rather than enhanced the general perception of it. And, unfortunately, the great bulk of elected people have no impact on the office, nor are they impacted by their term in it.