Or maybe you should just stick emacs in the middle of the screen, as who
knows where the users toolbar are (since apparently "we can't see them
in the dark").

Please also try
$ emacs -Q& emacs -Q& emacs -Q& emacs -Q&
Notice how the first and third have the minibuffer etc. end up
underneath the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. Only the second and
fourth are correctly fully on the screen.