June 24, 2025 and eight-four years ago on this day in 1941, the Los Angeles Times reprinted a letter written by Edgar Rice Burroughs to the Honolulu Observer. The Times titled the missive, “Bulbous Domes and Nitwits.” Here’s their introduction to the letter:
“Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of "Tarzan," now is sojourning in Hawaii where, presumably, the Ape Man soon may start swinging from volcano to volcano and eating pineapple in the raw. Mr. Burroughs, regardless of Tarzan, however, has found time to write a "Letter to the Editor" -- the editor of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. This amusing missive, being applicable to the mainland as well as to the island paradise, is reproduced herewith.”
The entire letter and several more newspaper articles written by ERB are faithfully reproduced at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag14/1441.html
The drabble for today, “Electing Stupid," is 100 words excerpted and edited for length from that article written by Edgar Rice Burroughs wherein he proposes that elected officials, specifically legislators, should be required to pass an intelligence test. Just as applicable a concern today as it was eighty-four years ago.
“Before anyone may become a candidate for elective or appointive office, he shall pass a intelligence test to prove how much native intelligence he has -- the kind of horse-sense intelligence that Will Rogers had.
"The present intelligence tests which determine I.Q. aren’t sufficient. 10-year-old children pass them. I don’t wish 10-year-old children to make laws.
"If our bulbous-domed psychologists huddled, they could evolve test as would at least keep a majority of the nitwits out of public office.
"If this fails, we can put the street cleaners in our Legislatures. At least we know they can read and write.”
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