The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-31
ANNA r. DICKINSON ON "N0 THING UN
REASONABLE."

ANNA E. DICKINSON is TO repeat tonight, at the
| Academy of Music, the lecture labelled
Nothing Unreasonable" which she delivered at
the Cooper Institute on last Friday evening
This production was reported at length in one
of the New York journals, and from this report
we learn that IL consists of a characteristic
TRADE against depraved male humanity, because
it does not confer the right of suffrage upon
suffering womankind
Miss Dickinson assumes at the outset that she
is branded a criminal because she is deprived
of the blessed privilege of having her pretty little
nose smashed at delegate election, and of the
chance to argue, as a voter without compensa-
ton, the questions which she is now paid eX-
travagant sums for discussing in fippant and
fiery manner. She groans under the tyranny of
taxation without representation, but deter
mined not to be a silent sufferer she resolves to
make the world rcsound with the echo of her
wrongs especially while she can attract
audiences at fifty cents a head to listen to the
recital.
She proceeds to argue that il is false to say
that women do not want the ballot, and against
the positive knowledge on this point which men
have acquired from their sisters, mothers, sweet
hearts, and wives, she puts the clamorous de-
mand of a few chattering viragoes who claim to
have acquired uncnyabc notoriety by brazen
assurance.
The tritling obstacle to acquicsccnce in her de-
mand which arises from the indisposition of the
mass of her sex to assume the rights and CORES
ponding duties of voters being rhetorically dis
posed of, the next difficulty to be overcome is
the prevalent desire of men to withhold the
right of suffrage from women The discussion
of this nOint piVps her a popitoI onpnrtunitv n
indulge in the invectve which is the basis of
her reputation and which is the main secret of
her attractivencss us public speaker. The
men, with all their faults and failings, rather
enjoy spirited attack upon their foibles, espe-
cially If pretty woman, in making it, is disre
gardful of delicacy and decency. The Mrs. Caudle
who rehearses her diatrbes to an unhappy
victim who has no companion in his misery, is
a legitimate object of dread but the pert miss
who can hurl missiles at man in the abstract,
among crowd of men, where they can all enjoy
the joke and mutually laugh at each other, is
well paid for her pleasing entertainment, not
because it does any good, or implants single
elevated or useful idea in any masculine brain,
but because men like to have other men
sailed. The unhappy mortal who would give
half his fortune to silence the clatter of a vixen
ish wife always hears, with great gusto, the re-
ears of tortured neighbor.
Anna E. Dickinson reves in her attacks upon
mankind. At critical period in the war she
delighted in vituperating Abraham Lincoln and
before the last Presidential nomir ations were do
cided upon she made attacks against the private
character of General Grant so indecent that only
the very yilest of the Copperhead journals were
base enough to repeat them when he became the
Republican nominee. AS the most eminent men
of the nation cannot escape her vitriol tongue,
it is idle average male bipeds tohopefor mercy,
and they are accordingly arraigned for filthy
| habits chewing tobacco, wearing dirty clothes,
! spending their money at Neutrality-suspicious. being
cross to their children, deficiency in courage and
! justice, acting naughtily when they go from
! home especially to Washington-for bribing,
| lying, cheating, stealing and scrambling for
! offices There is nothing new in these charges,
and unfortunately there is great deal of truth
in them. The chief point of the lecture con-
ssts in piquant commentary upon them, and
Anna f. Dickinson in default of husband upon
whom the vals of her wrath could be uncorked
with no better result than mutual irritation, is
fortunate enough TO secure good-natured au-
diences, which pay literally for the privilege of
hearing these stereotyped diatribes done up in
public instead of in private, and in a style
|
nouncng the incorrigible Rip.
The logic of the lecture forms but very sub
| ordinate portion of the production, but the
underlying idea appears to be that since men are
| so bad, public affairs could not be conducted in
worse stylei women participated in their manage
mcnt. This proposition, however, is by no
means established. If female suffrage resulted,
as it probably would result, in the most ridicu-
lous, conceited, and positively bad portion of
womankind busying themselves in elections and
political movements, while the better portion of
wOmankind abstained from such interference
Gas large proportion of the more industrious
and useful men of every community now abstain
from active interference in politics., matters
might be made great deal worse than they are
at present. The nation has trouble enough to
contend against the host of bad men who figure
as politicians. If they are reinforced by the
silly and bad women of the land, the republic
will soon be beyond redemption. Women rulers
have been tried over and over again, but their
reign has tended rather to add new element
of corruption to politics than to purify and ele-
vate it. Two prominent examples are now be-
fore the world-Queen Isabella, driven in dis
grace from Madrid on account of her noto-
GUS profigacy, and Queen Victoria, who, with
all her domestic virtues, is rapidly growing un-
popular in England because, in nursing her SEN
mental sorrows and enjoying the luxury of woe,
she Systematically neglects, through a series
of years, the light public duties for
which she receives a heavy cOmpen-
sation. If Anna Dickinson had had her way