The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-02
THE NEW LADY LECTURER.
Miss Edgarton Thinks Women Need Other
Things More Than the Ballot,

Miss EuQnrtOn Thinks women Need Othef
Things More Than the Ballot.
Miss Lillian s. Edgarton, debutdnte No. 3,
made her appearance in New York last evening,
at Cooper Institute. The young lady is tall, of
graceful figure, fair hair, bright eyes, and regu-
lar features. She appeared upon the stage
strikingly but tastefully attred. Mr.. Greeley,
in introducing her, said:-"There has been q
good deal of discussion on woman's sphere and
her work. and much of 1t seems to me unpro-
fitable. Her work Is what she can do usefully
and well, and must be determined by trial"
Miss Edgarton began the reading of her essay in
a resonant contralto tone, with well-modulated
infections, and striking dramatic gesticulations.
Woman is coming, she said, but not in the
way asserted by the ladies of the suffrage ranks.
Those who have little confidence in woman's
self-helping ability, and who look upon Govern
ment as the source of illimitable benevoletce,
commit three grand mistakes: First, they under
rate womans power and possibilities; second,
they would purify politics by increasing the
number without improving the quality of the
voters; third, they expect from woman legisla-
tion what it might not accomplish.
Women will never get the ballot until the
majority want it. If they would gain moral and
intellectual power, they themselves must strike
the blow. To be consistent in their appeals,
the women should insist on the moral and intel
lectual voting qualifications If it is desired to
purify politics, there is no other way to do it
than to improve the voters. 1t takes John
Morrissey constituency to senda John Morrissey
to Congress. Women are the moral educators
sertion that universal suffrage is safe if followed
by education. She thought that education should
come first. 'If we ever vote" said Miss
Lillian earnestly 'let us exercise the privilege
as o reserve power" She described "party
man" as one of strong likes and dislikes who is
capable of hero worship. Women possess all
those elements which make the party man in
tenfold degree greater than the man. She be-
leved that the average man is as good rs the
average woman. If Patrick sells his vote for
glass of whisky, Bridget might do the same for
love of bright purple bonnet with blue strings.
She emphatically advocated educated suffrage.
In view of q career of women lobbyists and
woman repeaters in New Jersey, it was not un-
safe to take it for granted that what corrupts
man corrupts woman She hoped that the trial
would never occur. Woman in politics would
be subject to the bribery of her feelings. She is
| superior to man in the intensity of her affec-
| tional nature. The suffragists declare that
| women must hold office. As every boy is trained
| to anticipate becoming judge or President, so
every girl will be trained to like possibilities.
Home with all its hallowed associations, already
too much neglected, will be made almost un-
endurable. The suffrage leaders calm that
universal suffrage will give woman greater
| self-respect and freedom. If they are
now slaves to fashion, they will then be
| greater slaves to the party Woman must first
| acquire independence of thought, and then ex-
ert it.; and if she lacks this in entering the poll
| tcal arena, she cannot get it there. She thought
that privileges of the sex were all sufficient, and
| deprecated the expression of women of unau-
thorized and unkind expressions of opinion re-
| garding other women. Legislation which was
unjust to women is fast disappearing. All that
should be asked is domestic and social equality,
with the abolition of few disabilities in law.
| With equal education woman herself would
solve every problem.
Referring to the idea of the suffrage people
that the ballot would be the grand panacea for
every evil, she said that they would never be fit
for that ballot while they maintained this golden
dream. They should want the ballot, if at all,
only when they will be prepared for it. They
| should all bear in mind that they were to be the
trainers and formers of character, the arbiters of
society, the moral lawgiyers of the race, and il
never queens on political thrones, vexed with
party strife, fretted and disappointed with the
rivalry of politicians, or perhaps disgraced and
dishonored by party intrigue, they would still be
queens on domestic and social thrones with
little fear of insurrection among their subjects
or of Punishment from their dominions. She
concluded by predicting the triumphant close OF
woman's struggles towards self-help.
The audience was large aud quite sympa
thetic. The Woman's Parliament was repre-.
sented on the platform by Mrs. Croly, Mrs
Blake, and Nine Demorest and husband. A
| sprinkling of woman suffrage believers was OBJ
servable in the audience. So much incensed die
one of these become with Miss Edgarton's ideas
of the ballot, that she walked out, remarl1ing
that ''she wasn't going, to stay there any Longer
! to listen to such stuff"