Charles Davenport

“Two imbecile parents, whether related or not, have only imbecile offspring.”

“It is a reproach to our intelligence that we as a people should have to support about half a million insane, feeble-minded, epileptic, blind and deaf, 80,000 prisoners and 100,000 paupers at a cost of over 100 million dollars per year.”

“Can we build a wall high enough around this country... so as to keep out the defective strains?”

“Society must protect itself; as it claims the right to deprive the murderer of his life so also it may annihilate the hideous serpent of hopelessly vicious protoplasm.”

“Weakness in any of the faculties of the mind is a recessive trait.”

“Just as we have strains of thoroughbred horses, so we have strains of men.”

“It is the curse of humanity that it learns to tolerate its defects.”

“The commonwealth is a breeder of men.”

“The sea-roving and brave peoples of Northwestern Europe have contributed the best elements to the American population.”

“A bad man is a man who is ill-adjusted to his social environment, and a good man is one who is well-adjusted.”