The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-03-09
Anna Dickinson ON the Social
Evil.

Anna Dickinson ON the Social
Evil.
New YoRK, March 6.-AIiss Anna f
Dickinson last evening, in Steinway Hal
ion OF It,' Despite the stormy weather
there was quite q large audience, the ma
ior portion Of whom, strange to say, werl
Of the gentleF sex. Just beiore Mis-
Dickinson made her appearance on tht
stage Theodore Tilton, eseortiug q younG
lady, and accompanied by one q BIZ
counsel, Roger A. Pryor, entered the hall
and took reserved seat in tho central
row. His entrance created quite sen
sation, and when the lecture was over
the ladies in the audience clustered about
the doorways in order to Gee him pass out
many in their anxiety, huddling together
outside the main entrance, exposed u
the storm, where they remained until the
lights were put out, As Theodore and
his party, after the lecture, made their
way behind the stage to pay their re-
speots, It was believed, To Miss Dickinson,
there were not few disappointed
women on the sidewalk when the doors
were closed,
Miss DickinsonS lecture, was sup
posed by many, to have the Beecher trial
Tor its text but such was not the case,
She only referred to II accidentally, The
theme was tho social evil, and the aim OF
tho lecture was TO arouse the attention,
as the lecturer iptimated, to the necessity
Of 80 educating the boys OF the period as
to give them openly and above board,
even before they got
OUT OF THEIR TEENS,
q good idea Of tho evilI they would be
instrumental in bringing about in their
maturer years II allowed tofollow their
bad inclinations and "the teachings Of
society,"" as 10 their responsibility In life.
There were, Miss Dickinson said, ques.
tons other than the third term, tho
Louisiana difficulty, the Arkansas prob
lem and the national finances which need
to be diScussod-questions which were Of
more importance than these, which exist
ed before they became topics, and
which would exist long alter they
would be forgotten. People said
that though II was true they were Of
grave Importance, yet they were not
strong enough In tho present to grapple
with them, and that probably some future
generation might DO Drawer that would
grapple with them. II a woman spoke
openly about them she was declared
shocking, unSexed, and the people said
that tAhe must have been
LOST TO ALL DELIoAcY
and modesty before she dragged these
questions up for the inspection Of all tho
world. ut was very bad taste, y they said.
Yet It was the correct thing to dicuss In!
iqulty In office, poverty and vice, because
OH their discussion depended the I'D.
vancement Of the entire human race, II
that we're 50 how much more The subject
she meant to speak about was above all
these The lecturer then alluded to the
average young man inst beginning life, 80
10 speak. lie was q nice voting fellow
everybody conceded, "He Is only SOW.
Ing his wild oats" people said. f'He Is
a little gay, but he'll mend In years. He
Is a little oyerfond Of the ladies, but
that's nothing. He'll DO oil right in
time" People talk Of young mans
sowing his wild oats as II he was only
passing an idle hour, and that q good
harvest was to como Of the sowing; but 1t
was sowed on ground, she said, that was
the crushing out Of healthy life, the de.
struction OF a woman's body for all time,
and probably her soul for eternity. Miss
Dickinson then at great length argued 10
show that society held o mans mortal
crime to be yenial fault, and woman's
vonial fault to be mortal crime. Even
10 stumble was, for q woman, to fall past
all hope OF rising; but a man might fall
till the end OF his days, yet no ono
thought him any the less worthy Of soci.
ETY.. A woman was 10 judged, II was con.
tended, because she stood as the keystone
Of the arch OF the home--if she fell all
home, husband and children-fOll. II q
man fell the home remained intact, for
rHF FLEA OF SOCIETY
owns his act only touched himself, and
him but slightly. Because Of this teach.
Ing, she said, moral death was being sown
among our boys. Miss Dickinson then
Illustrated the condition Of the fallen
woman by describing the fall Of q young
girl who browns her child because, "ac.
cording to the custom Of society,n her
parents made her get rid OF II before they
would let her come home. The lecturer
vividly describes the agony Of the young
mother; her persecution by those who
should help her; her attempt 10 retrace
her false step, and her final resort 10
A LIFE OIL SHAME.
after being repulsed by society In her ev.
very effort to do we'll, even by The re.
spectacle churches and the respectable
pastors, and the final death-sometim
on the gallows. And yet the man who
was the real assassin Of the woman'a body
and soul went scot free because his act, a.
society claimed, concerned himself and
him but slightly. She maintained, In
speaking on this feature Of the subject at
considerable length, that man who BY
bis acts sunk an already fallen woman
deeper In her degradation was viler
wretch than he who caused her downfall,
and contended that God would hold him
10 be the more guilty Of the two. Miss
Dickinson closed with an earnest exhorta.
tion 10 fathers and mothers 10 40 educate
their sons and daughters that they would
understand what the social evil really IL,
and how they should be brought to feel
that man, In his acts Of sin committed
crime that by no means concerned him.