John Burns Quotes

• I neither drink nor smoke, because my schoolmaster impressed upon me three cardinal virtues; cleanliness in person, cleanliness in mind; temperance.

  John Burns

  Mind, Three, Drink

  11 Copy quote

• In this work I have received the opposition of a number of men who only advocate the unobtainable because the immediately possible is beyond their moral courage, administrative ability, and their political prescience.

  John Burns

  Men, Numbers, Political

  4 Copy quote

• The Thames is liquid history.

  John Burns

  History, Liquid, Thames

  To an American who had compared the Thames disparagingly with the Mississippi, in 'Daily Mail' 25 January 1943

  12 Copy quote

• Books are a real solace, friendships are good but action is better than all.

  John Burns

  Real, Book, Action

  7 Copy quote

• You come before me this morning with clean hands and clean collars. I want you to have clean tongues, clean manners, clean morals and clean characters.

  John Burns

  Morning, Character, Fog

  4 Copy quote

• I recognise that Socialism has ended its purely theoretical course, and that the hour to construct has come.

  John Burns

  Eugenics, Socialism, Hours

  7 Copy quote

• For the moment and for some time great events have been denied me, forward action not come my way.

  John Burns

  Events, Way, Action

  4 Copy quote

• My duty is clear and at all costs will be done.

  John Burns

  Cost, Done, Duty

  4 Copy quote

• I believe, however, that impending events will call us and we must respond but where, with whom, and how?

  John Burns

  Believe, Events, I Believe

  4 Copy quote

• Why four great powers should fight over Serbia no fellow can understand.

  John Burns

  Fighting, Four, Should

  7 Copy quote

• Don't hustle old people.

  John Burns

  People, Hustle, Old People

  4 Copy quote

• I don't want boys to use their pencils for improper writing.

  John Burns

  Writing, Boys, Use

  4 Copy quote

• Individual effort is almost relatively impossible to cope with the big problem of poverty as we see it.

  John Burns

  Individual Effort, Poverty, Impossible

  4 Copy quote

• Judge men less by the labels they wear than by their persistent labour for sure if slow progress.

  John Burns

  Men, Judging, Progress

  4 Copy quote

• I must firmly adhere to the views I have held and practice, that Socialism to succeed must be practical, tolerant, cohesive and consciously compromising with Progressive forces running, if not so far, in parallel lines towards its own goal.

  John Burns

  Running, Views, Practice

  4 Copy quote

• I don't want to be married. I don't know - it sounds crazy, but in my mind, it's all connected. You get married, you have kids, you grow old, then you die. Somehow, it seems to me, if you didn't get married, you wouldn't die.

  John Burns

  Marriage, Crazy, Kids

  4 Copy quote

• The men who made the war were profuse in their praises of the man who kicked the P.M. out of his office and now degrades by his disloyal, dishonest and lying presence the greatest office in the State.

  John Burns

  Lying, War, Men

  4 Copy quote

• I am only doing now what I have ever done; and ever will continue to do - that is adapting past experience to present reform in the light of high ideals and future objects.

  John Burns

  Past, Light, Reform

  4 Copy quote

• I am depressed rather at the wave of brutality sweeping over the country.

  John Burns

  Country, Depressing, Brutality

  7 Copy quote

• I am not ashamed to say that I am the son of a washerwoman.

  John Burns

  Son, Ashamed

  4 Copy quote

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