Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1867-11-15
Miss Dickinson on Idiots and
Women."

orn ana tmisFfsou> a>stut upon the Law,
uhich she said classed uosarn nth idiots.
criminals and panPers.-tbey are all dis
iranchisvd, AnL yet the h- Is enforce
upon none save women With any deeree Of
sirctness. TIE Ignorant deeradei pau
Pss % the South have just BEN honored
nth tn Po~er 20 vote and A. for crim mails
What are The men Al The North Who have
struck haEds with soathsrn -ebels s-and
fcr IDIOTS, what arr the mcn Who .unpor,
Andres Johnson Yet al these men have
votes, The Old Engiish common la~ allows
husband % put halter on his -ise and
sell her. also 90 beat ber with a stick no
bigger than his thunb and TN. la- !. the
animating element. the groand~ork Of AL
orr State las. and in many States j. s,in
in force even in - original barbari'y This
assauit upon our institutions. the items Of
-hich certainly ~rrr not gathered in any
bsunss oi the "a irat~rnHv. "a received
by the ardisnce IN Tranquil silence. indica-
tive (ifsil-nce may BE- saiely interprvtsd)
OF incredulnv.
Ths lectorvr then passed 20 an attack NJ
on habit. Custom and antiquity which. sbe
sad. we're the so-cailed auguments against
,hs eniranchisenent Of women. She said
that toad ~as once shown ~hIch bad lived
for looO years IN a rock. Dot sbs never heard
that be wiser or better than soanger
toals az ~hich statement the asdience ~
pressed niLi Amusement. bui Probably did
not mistake % for a. argument She further
stated ths, the animal most gwen 70 The toll
low-your- leader system was . goose which
announcement fhc asdisncr again recefsed
~itE eqaanimiiy. and these sqaibs having
flashed 80 sery gently. The ret ofthv dis
course ~as conducted ~iih less Hort a. org
inal hamor and IN a more serious ani oc.
cisioually pathetic tone.
Goycrnmelf. Mi,s Dicsinson sAil. taxes
~omen. Bat - doesn't Al.ow them vote
in The disposition Of tie proceeds Of il.e taxes
paid by them and Yet this governments d.
ba-ed On the graad principle of no repre-
seniaiion no taxation
Men she Sad. we're nov atcrrible arisfoc-
ray. basrd neither oa brains. sense or merit.
msrc ab-u' b than any aristocraey in Europe;
yei sc say all aeH~ are born free and
equal. and she asked nj. any one be -
foolish a. - say the " ord men - used IN a
terhaioIi sense. whatever such sense may
be. Al prescott. our government . con-
duciei on she same principle ss thr Turkish
A. that Of Eng glsn,l towards ireland. AID vet
it 3, worse ihaa elthsr IN Logical point oi
yie~. Hos can men, be- ing 80 utterly nv
lake ~onen-anl for ber part. the lecturer
very shr-wishly aided. she ~as sure she
d.int wi.h 90 claim any resemblance be-
tween The sexcs-eyvr properly iegislAts
and provide for thems
Then returning uot very logicaliv.to tie
, las. she undertook O. sho- fLaf t 80 q
dssrace 70 men thai Ass shouid s,and on
The statute book ~hich assumed ihe pofs-
ioibty Of al sort. Of unb, ard Of barbarities
uPoH their part ana fhis point "a. illusira-
ted by a number o. instances of the -orking
Of the iaw in VARIOUS sia'c-.
Somebody hai asserted that -oman's
rights lag tn hef beauty aud love oi men,
Women. ho~rver. didn'i say thi. fsr from
ii. and she indiganiiy demanded whai then
-ers ths nights Of oid and Ugly women. snd
ans~ered that they verify hal none.
Again recurring 20 abe matter Of taxation
she SAID that siSty men living in a Hitle
street behiad ber didnt pay altogether
rnorr than a smaa fraction % the tax shc
her,el annually paia-yet the al voted
and shr c1a.Int.
According OBJ Der own experience. she
ss'a thai only pre-en,inen'iy young. beaati
fsl snd msg1etic "a term sh- diI not eH-
Plain) women e.,r infsrnccI uc- a. az
The statement ~ss received IN ominous
silence By the Intellectual but nciihcr Young
uor beaut.fal Eomeu. who Eerc not proba
bly, conscious of being nayaefic. among the
aad.ence
\ man. work b. not politics. sny more
thln sonans EDh bas h.. or hrr our
ba.inrs. in iife. Or ,saapi- Dr Holland.
shose busiue.s BE- BE- fo shoW somcn to be
aicrior to men. A uomru a rroies.ioual
r.irf.tarf She then cxr'aimrd. Col lor-
tii, aaI God grant tLat ail the neV pro-
fe..iensl r5.iiir,tns msy soon be .sept from
fie anI. a. -hieh Hfue oaibur-t ihe 40.
lcntc urre good -rafuredly amlaed
FntoI1as and si.Iy somcn. Soc there -ere
frssueh. sere made by God Almighty
to a,at,h .o.a- a4oa' a. ~a,,h .one Of iis
aal.cnc, laughed Her measure ior a nan
"a Lis estimation oi q somsn. 80 siied.
au' being applsuded ihereior. ss.i s.usrtly.
D." I'm glad y1a took that. hoped yos
sould." 4 nan goes atou' s.th BE- siN-
iach ilne and drops h.. hu'e p.ummet into