The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-03
ANNA E. DICKINSON.
She Criticizes n Critic-A ''TrTbune,, Man
Gets it Henvy-A ShRrp Letter.


RerotuttOn:-l wish, through your medium, TO hold
myself up az an example and a warning TO all am
Dluous young women who desire TO win laurels in
Lne arena OF the world and from the hands OF men,
BE II then known unto all OF these that in such
measure as they are silly will they be triumphant
ana III proportion to their lack Of logic and sense
VIII be the abundance OF their acknowledged power
some gentlemen upon the staiT OF the Tribune
evidently not Mr.. Greeley, for the article lacks the
stamp OF his strong sealShath seen ht to write an
editorial upon me, OF which, in passing, will say
with Parson Adams, that had much rather be the
SUBJECT than the composer.
This august censor finds me charming" but
,,Ilogical;' and fascinating oh, shade Of
Minerva! because of my "absolute unreason."
10 be utterly without reason one must surely be
mailman or an idiOt so we are TO understand that
such man. is that am foOl-in his estimation.
~ rs notorious fact that distinguishing charac-
teIistc of insanity is the lunatic's faith in his
SANITY, ana the madness of those who refuse TO sup
port the distorted fances Of his brain.
Judge, then, between us twain which is possessed
OF absolute unreason - he in denying or in assert
ing, that 1.-THE ballot is the natural and inaenable
right Of all human beings TO withhold it from
woman is to keep her in a state of slavery: govern
ment is tyranny to me il / do not consent to it, /
want To vote and go to Congress, and If you don't
let me- Ill make you-here you have the logic OF
her argument cries my critic with sneer "lf she
could prOCe that suffrage was the natural right OF
both sexes, she might stop there but bless het
heart she mas never thought of that
"AU mankind are created euual!n "Iife and
liberty are their inalienable rights!" Governments
are instituted to secure these-ther inst pO,cers being
derived from the consent OF the goDerRed!" "If we
are not represented by our own choice, being taxed
we are SuDeS ~ IhiS sequence of truth the father
believed and declared seleuident" for bless their
hearts they never thought of being followed by such
an astute critic as he
A critic who suggests 'that the consent of the
human race in all ages as to the proper position of
womanis an evidence OF Divine purpose and who
to my assertion that there is an authority higher
than the consent Of the human race-the Right
responds "a palpable begging of the question,
general consent being the criterion OF right!n
Is, then, general consent the criterion Of right?
Was 1t so when the world cried. "Away with Him!
Not this man, but Barrabas?" Has it ever been so
nf G.pnnN NintSn TInC
ever been acknowledged by this same critic in his
demands for the slave?
school in which it was learned the Tribune-not the
degenerate Tribune Of the present, under its new
Tended right against the world; which combate1
the law OF slavery made by the past and sanctioned
by the present, with the igher law, ''Thou shalt
love thy neighbOr thyself:" which opposed to the
declaration having the general consent of AMerica,
that black man has no rights that white man is
bound to respect" the Divine declaration, "What-
ever ye would that men should do to you, do ye
even so to them"
Which, then, "begs the question-"-my critic
who denies his aith fearful of logical consequence
or |, who still maintain it
stu maintain it For the ground upon which
urge my claims to-day is that upon which my critic
and urged the claims of the black yesterday.
We demanded his rights, not because he was black,
but because he was a human being. I demand my
rights not because am woman, but because am
human being. Will my critic explain the logic of
the first proposition yet the want of logic OF the last?
VIII he further explain why when maintained
this ground in defense of a cause which had the
support OF a great party-Inalntaned lt in many q
fierce struggle and on many hard-fought 6eld-I
was considered worthy the admiration, the support,
the honor of this party, my critic ncluded butwhen
maintain 1t to-day in defense Of truth which these
are too blind to see or too cowardiy to embrace am
deemed worthy only OF ridicule and sneers?
miss Dickinson has not made 1t clear that society
would gam anything If woman obtained the ballot"
Not to my critic. He also failed to make it clear to
the master that society would gain by the liberation
and enfranchsement Of the slave did he. therefore,
decide the colors wherewith he sketched defective,
or the master blind?
her that Crosby would send more women to the
polls than the Twenty-third street Bureau?" No. it
has not She has judged that this case would be like
unto others that the class which produces advo-
Gates for right will be preeminenty the class to
use that right when gained. Have these advocates
sprung from the denizens Of Crosby street. or the in
telligent and respectable women who support the
Twenty-third street Bureau?
Farther inquire, has it never occurred to him that
the Fourth ward sends more men to the polls than
the office OF the Iribune-therefore all men should
be denied vote?
He continues, "Are there so few drunken wives
and dissOlute viragOs that the admission OF women
to the suffrage would be sure to improve the ave-
rage morality Of the voting population ~ Does,
then, my critic mean to intimate that the drunken
wives and dssolute vragos outnumber the dignfed
matrOns and virtuous maids THAT the average
morality of womankind is below the average morality
of mankind II such is his estimate it is not unfair
to inquire what manner of society he has kept.
Possibly this is not what he means, what then
'Men Of all classes go to the polls without annoy
ance but women OF all classes would not. Bridget
would vote, and her mistress would stay at home.
Any begging of the question here? Such an asser-
ton can be taken only on PROOF, ana the PROOF can
be given only by the fact If it be true have only
to say would as willingly be governed by Bridget
as by Patrick, and rather by my own vote than
either Also, would suggest that If men will annoy
me on my passage to the polls will insult me merely
because am exercising right, they are not the
fit depostOrs OF the absolute power that gov
erns me.
The great trouble with and such as me, my
critic declares, sis forgetfulness Of thefact that
the family is the basis OF society" l reply to this
advocate Of patriarchial ideas, Is not he then-a
solitary waif upon society-vioatng this law by cast
| N a q
fathers house constitute him family? If the basis
| OF society is fames-represented by men-nO man
should be allowed authority till he has family TO
| represent. More magnanimous than my critic, /
! protest against unjust law that would disfran-
| chise us both.
duties he once more ''begs the question: lwOuld
| but assume mine uwn. AS man and woman, allow
! we have different work TO do in the world AS hu-
man beings we entitled TO the same rights and
owe the same duties TO God and the State. May the
! State confirm them, and we perform them in the