The Portland daily press., 1875-05-04
THE PRESS.
TUESDAY MORNING., MAY 4, 1875
The Moral Kick.

The Beecher trial and the Statement in
connection Herewith have given birth to
many pithy phrases which have passed into
current slang, and to some, which having all
the point, brevity and wisdom OF aphorisms,
may pass into proverbs and be repeated by
generations yet unborn. The greater num-
ber of these have been brought out by the
prosecution; but the defense now seems to
Eave taken hand. On Friday last Mr.. Ev-
arts, who had until then confined himself to
luminous expositlons of the law bearing upon
the case, or sharp remarks upon the testi-
mony for the prosecution, came to the front
as the enunciator of new social rule-a rule
which we look to see in tine revised editions
of society manuals credited to 'ts'Evarts on
Etiquette" The cross-eXaminer was asking
Gen. Tracy if he advised Mrs. Moulton to
kick Tilton out of the house, when Mr.. Ev-
arts arose and said impressively, "No one
should advise lady to kick a gentleman"
We take it that no man will dispute the pro-
priety of this prohibition. It is certainly
clearly and elegantly stated, concise enough
for mnemonic purposes, and worthy of
place along with the familiar injunctions in
regard to keeping the knife from the mouth
and the fingers from the sugar-bowl.
But Mr.. Evarts went further and made an
addendum to his rule of etiquette which is,
it strikes us, more valuable than the rule
itself. He adds "The word kicking is used
metaphorcally, and there may be kicking in
a moral sense" AS he accompanies this
statement with no prohibition it can fairly
be inferred that lady mag kick gentleman
in moral sense; and we hasten to add that
ladies not infrequently do. Of course the
word gentleman" is used in this connection
in its broadest American acceptation and
applies to every man who has even the thin
nest veneer of civilization overspreading his
natural savagery.
That the kick in moral sense is an i'm
portant weapon of defense to the gentle sex
is not to be denied; more important to them
than to their brothers, for the reason that
women have no choice between the kick
literal and the kick metaphorical. Women
have ever been noted for the clear and sharp
way in which they deliver merited rebuff.
In the huge number of anecdotes about
sharp replies, the credit is in the majority of
cases given to women. Indeed no noted
woman can be mentioned of whom some
story of quickness at repartee is not told,
We can boast of at least one who excelled in
the art of rebuking impertinence, pretenson
and intrusion. Margaret Fuller was, with
all admiration and respect be it said, the
champion moral kicker of America. Let us
hope that the art will never be lost by our
self-respecting sisters.
We would by no means have the use of
the moral kick confined to women; for there
are circumstances, frequently recurring, in
which a nan does not care to use the toe Of
his boot, and yet does wish to administer a
deserved snub. (The snub we take 10 be
synonym of the moral kick. There is rea-
son to fear that this accomplishment is de-
parting from men. This is greatly 10 be re-
gretted, for he who has acquired the art OF
giving the moral kick with ease and dexterity
has already good start in life and has little
grounds for apprehension as to his success.
Many man has climbed to positions of hon.
or and profit by knowing how to judciously
administer snub. We say "judicously,"
for the snub depends greatly upon circum
stances and occasion for its effect. He who
goes about kicking Unfortunately, sin a
moral sense" will very likely get kicked in a
physical sense.
There is much to be said on this important
subject, many nice points to be treated. 1t
is to be hoped that Mr.. Evarts will some time
in the near future snatch few hours from
his professional duties and devote them to
the composition of treatise on the minor
morals, and that he will bring TO the consid-
Grafton of the art Of kicking, ''in moral
sense" all the resources of his acute intellect,
subtle logic, and luminous style.