Bishop Fulton Sheen said, in a radio program, "The good are not always good in all things, and the wicked are not always wicked in all things. As it has been said, 'There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us,' that it ill behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us.' "


A too cool quote, I thought, so I googled it to find out who said it and was surprised to see it attributed to
Abraham Lincoln
Robert Louis Stevenson
Unknown
Thornton Wilder (used in a play)
Edward Wallis Hoch
... and there may be more.

How is it that such a modern saying (not more than 150 years old) can get lost like that? Does anyone have a source for who really said it?

You got the same information I got

The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations attributes this to Edward Wallis Hoch former Gov. of Kansas and notes that it has been 'attributed to many other authors.' It supposedly first appeared in the Marion Kansas Record, a paper owned by Hoch.

Hmm... this is definitely a puzzle...

I found the same quotation as tomder55 on this page (Robert Louis Stevenson- spurious quotations) but I also found an attribution to Joaquin Miller - who was alive at the same time as Edward Wallis Hoch... Joaquin Miller - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia .
Found one for James Truslow Adams, as well...

This is an interesting quest... thanks Rick! I'm going to keep looking...

Many years ago I recall reading the quote in an old inspirational book from Ireland. I don't recall to whom the quote was attributed but I recall the quote in this way:

"There is so much good in the worst of us
And so much bad in the best of us
That it ill behooves any of us
To rail at the faults of the rest of us."

This wording is much more lyrical and suggests Irish or English origin.

My Mom loved this quote, and I just came across a print of a cross stitch that my Mom had of a very similar quote -- It reads:

"There is so much good in the worst of us,
And so much bad in the best of us,
That it little behooves any of us
To talk about the rest of us."

Beneath the quote are the initials "J.M." which seems to correlate with the authorship by Joaquin Miller mentioned above!

The print (very yellowed and cracked) had the copy write of the P.F. Volland Company of Joliet IL.
Also, the image in the embroidery features an old fashioned lady in a bonnet and hoop skirt shown from the side watering her garden. There are birds in the sky and a colorful parrot on a branch above her. Above the quote are two silhouette profile medallions facing each other, one male, one female, and a basket of flowers between them. It's very sweet in it's old fashioned way.
Although the quote has "J. M." below it, the initials below the embroidered picture are "H.J.M."

I posted a picture of the print here:
https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1234851_10201027853752444_211776305_n.jpg

Hope this helps! -Therese

Curiouser and Curiouser!

I've scanned the print and posted it here:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TheMamBo

My Mom loved this quote, and I just came across a print of a cross stitch that my Mom had of a very similar quote -- It reads:

"There is so much good in the worst of us,
And so much bad in the best of us,
That it little behooves any of us
To talk about the rest of us."

Beneath the quote are the initials "J.M." which seems to correlate with the authorship by Joaquin Miller mentioned above!

The print (very yellowed and cracked) had the copy write of the P.F. Volland Company of Joliet IL.
Also, the image in the embroidery features an old fashioned lady in a bonnet and hoop skirt shown from the side watering her garden. There are birds in the sky and a colorful parrot on a branch above her. Above the quote are two silhouette profile medallions facing each other, one male, one female, and a basket of flowers between them. It's very sweet in it's old fashioned way.
Although the quote has "J. M." below it, the initials below the embroidered picture are "H.J.M."

I posted a picture of the print here:
https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...11776305_n.jpg

Hope this helps! -Therese

Curiouser and Curiouser!

I've scanned the print and posted it here:

---

Thanks for that addition, MamBo. That is cool. Note: The link to the picture does not work.