| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum: his body was still connected with the arm of the
throne, and they knew they could pull his Majesty down
again, if they wanted to.
"Let him alone," suggested the Scarecrow. "He seems a
good enough king for his peculiar people, and after we
are gone, the Loons will have something of a job to
pump up all those whom Woot has punctured."
"Every one of them ought to be exploded," declared
Woot, who was angry because his leg still hurt him.
"No," said the Tin Woodman, "that would not be just
fair. They were quite right to capture us, because we
The Tin Woodman of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from First Inaugural Address by Abraham Lincoln: passed Congress, to the effect that the Federal Government shall
never interfere with the domestic institutions of the States,
including that of persons held to service. To avoid misconstruction
of what I have said, I depart from my purpose not to speak of particular
amendments so far as to say that, holding such a provision to now be
implied Constitutional law, I have no objection to its being made express
and irrevocable.
The chief magistrate derives all his authority from the people,
and they have conferred none upon him to fix terms for the
separation of the states. The people themselves can do this
also if they choose; but the executive, as such, has nothing to
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: "Which reminds me, you were awful. I thought I should die, when
you asked that poor man- "
"A wholesome thirst for knowledge, my dear. Talking of which,
d'you know it's getting on for half-past one?"
"Is it really?"
"It is, indeed. Time tears away sometimes, doesn't he?"
"Sometimes."
"You are sweet," said I. "However. About Time. He's a mocker
of men, you know: very contrary. When he can serve, not he.
When he cannot, he is willing enough. Beg him to hasten, he'll
cock his hat and stroll with an air of leisure that makes us
The Brother of Daphne |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Pivot of Civilization by Margaret Sanger: and awaken intelligence as to the extravagance and cost to the
community of our present codes of traditional morality. But we should
make sure in all such surveys, that mental defect is not concealed
even in such dignified bodies as state legislatures and among those
leaders who are urging men and women to reckless and irresponsible
procreation.
I have touched upon these various aspects of the complex problem of
the feeble-minded, and the menace of the moron to human society, not
merely for the purpose of reiterating that it is one of the greatest
and most difficult social problems of modern times, demanding an
immediate, stern and definite policy, but because it illustrates the
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