Known as the "Sage of Baltimore," Mencken was controversial during and after his life. The writer argued strongly for evolution and man's descent from apes, which angered monkeys throughout the country. Mencken also held strong prejudices against anything that was not Bach or beer. However, Mencken tirelessly championed free speech and controversial authors, and was formally indicted for crimes against humanity in 1946 for inflicting Theodore Dreiser on the world.