Related:

• DICTATOR, n. The chief of a nation that prefers the pestilence of despotism to the plague of anarchy.
  -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary...
• INTERREGNUM, n. The period during which a monarchical country is governed by a warm spot on the cushion of the throne.
  The experiment of letting the spot grow cold has commonly been attended by most unhappy results from the zeal of many worthy persons to make it warm again....
• MULTITUDE, n. A crowd; the source of political wisdom and virtue.
  In a republic, the object of the statesman's adoration....
• RABBLE, n. In a republic, those who exercise a supreme authority tempered by fraudulent elections.
  The rabble is like the sacred Simurgh, of Arabian fable -- omnipotent on condition that it do nothing....
• REFERENDUM, n. A law for submission of proposed legislation to a popular vote to learn the nonsensus of public opinion.
  -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary...
• Rabble: In a republic, those who hold supreme power tempered by fraudulent elections.
  -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary...
• ABSOLUTE, adj. Independent, irresponsible. An absolute monarchy is one in which the sovereign does as he pleases so long as he pleases the assassins.
  Not many absolute monarchies are left, most of them having been replaced by limited monarchies, where the sovereign's power for evil (and for good) is greatly curtailed, and by republics, which are governed by chance....
• DAWN, n. The time when men of reason go to bed. Certain old men prefer to rise at about that time, taking a cold bath and a long walk with an empty stomach, and otherwise mortifying the flesh.
  They then point with pride to these practices as the cause of their sturdy health and ripe yea...
• ROAD, n. A strip of land along which one may pass from where it is too tiresome to be to where it is futile to go.
  All roads, howsoe'er they diverge, lead to Rome, Whence, thank the good Lord, at least one leads back home....