Litchfield enquirer., 1875-03-18
IN |. ribune Report.l A WCMAk'S VIEW OF IT.
Lecture Dy Miss Anna E. Dicninsel

A NOU1AW . VIZ" VT NJ.
 Lecture Dy Miss Anna E. Dicninson. SOCIAL EMIL DLSCUsSED-NECRSSITY OF
 PLAIN SPEAKING ON THE sUBJECT-THE
 WRONG IN THE TEACHINGS OF SOCIETY
 AND THE TRAINING OF THE YOUNG . ABoUNDING INJUSTICE TO WOMAN AND
 woMANHoOD-THE WORLDS TREATMENT
 OF THE FALLEN-THE TRUE MEANING OF
 MANHOOD.
 Tie Social Evil was the subject of a vigorous lecture by Miss Anna E. Dickin- son in Steinsay Hall last evening. The announcement of an address by lady so eminent in the lecture field was sufficient to bring a crowd through the thickly fall ing snow flakes, and over the wet and slippery pavements. The lecture itself was delivered in Miss Dickinson we'll known forcible and eloquent manner, and lost none of it's significance by it's refer ences to the celebrated Brooklyn scandal, and by the fact that one of the principals in the scandal-Theodore Tiiton-and his counsel. Gen. Roger A. Pryor and ex- Judge Samuel D. Morris, were deeply in- terested listeners to the emphatic utter ances of the lectuaer.
 THE LECTURE.
 This Winter is very like unto other Winters that have come and gone in the discussion of questions that seem to those who discuss them all-important matters the third term, the Louisiana difficulty, the Arkansas trouble, the financial diff culties of the nation We'll, unquestion- ably these are important questions, need
 
 ment; and yet, as look about me in the other questions not at all discussed of in tnitely greater importance-questions that were before and will be after these; questions that affect not section merely, not nation merely, not an age merely: questions that are as old as sorrow, suffer ing, and sin; widespread as humanity, and like to be as old as time itself, and yet questions that are by common consent ignored, or If some one does summon out of the depths wherein they abide, and so summoning them, points finger, speaks word demanding the attention of the peo- pie about them, they are speedily silenced and the question itself is left in the dark from which it has issued. People say: "Yes. perhaps. this does need discussion |" Important" ''Well, no doubt; all the same, we of the present are not strong enough to grapple with It. Perhaps some future will be stronger, braver, hon. ester. To that stronger and braver future we pass on these matters, and will trust to have some right solution in the millen- nium? Pre-eminently, if it is a woman who summons these specters from the dark, people say of her, "What an unsex- ed creature!'' ''Oh, ,shockinglv unwoman- ly proceeding!" ''Why, that woman must have lost all effeminacy and delica- cy before she could drag out such hor- rible matter as this for the inspection and discussion of the world" Or others say, ''Very bad taste, shockingly bad form"
 It is thing ladies and gentlemen do not wish to touch. We'll, certainly, it is in very bad form to discuss-we will say malfeasance in high places. or to discuss wrong and iniquity in office, vice, crime, and drunkenness in the sewers of society All the same, such discussion is necessary, since upon such discussion and solution depend advancement of society and of the race. If that be So, how much more nec- essary then the discussion of matter as widespread and deep-reaching and as uni versal as this. Cowardice is not univer- sally mistaken for delicacy, selfshness for refinement of feeling. Peoples ears are very often the incest part of them. To many people acts of vice and deeds of infamy are infinitely less to be condemn ed than the plain words of truth that would bring such acts and deeds to the dread bar of truth and condemnation. And yet while people say it is in bad form to discuss such matters, or they are to be forgotten, people are to go on living and breathing as they have gone on. In spite of that they are known and talked about. One can take up the daily paper-the paper that Is read not by the select few of the generation, but that goes into everybody's house, that is read by young and old, rich and poor, cultured and ignorant alike-and find the record of rapes, seductions, adulteries, ,sto- ries set forth not for the benefit of human ity, or the advancement of the entire race, but as the caterer would put a dainty dish before savored appetite to tempt it. Items of news of the day! These things are known. for turning over news column to the editorial column We find comment upon these same stories-com- ment, not for the help of those who need it, or through them to help others, nor to point out a moral. but written simply to adorn a tale, to entail in some fine writ ing the same sentiment. These things are known, for turning from news and ed ltorlal column to the advertisement col umn we find such facts of this vice of degradation, of deeds of vulgar men and women, as make one shrink from human nature, and from the vice revealed of human nature. These acts are known. Whoso comes into the theater to see the play of the day, the mirror which holds itself up to reveal the passing nature of man, they come 10 look in; whoso can come to see the play of the day, the play of society, has such facts revealed. The novels of the day, now and then the ser mons of the day. one and all tell the sto- ", but fail to tell the truth that underlies it-fail to strike at the root of the diseas- ed tree that every one knows Is outgrow- and overspreading society.
 These things are known, for wheresoev- CT men and women gather themselves to- gether one hears it said of some young fellow, ''Oh, yes, he IS sowing his wild oats. A little too gay, but, then, he will mend of that in time-somewhat over fond of the ladies-learn wisdom in time necessary for young man to SOW his WllO oats InaG He may f1p6n ana reap bet ter harvest in time to come" Everyone knows perfectly we'll what is meant by that sort of talk; knows perfectly that one says it as though tLey were talking of the pastime of an idle hour; knows that it may be the pastime of an idle hour; but every one knows that the same wild oats are sown on the ground to the destruc- tion of any harvest therein-ground that was meant to produce the growth of a noble vomanhood-that the wild oats so sown crush Out any healthy life or wo- mans body and mind, and unless God were more merciful, her body in eternity. And yet, when one dares to speak the truth.people run with nasty feet to put stihing hands on the mouth that would utter 1t. The truth is to be ignored or the truth Is to be silenced. Pre-eminently. l think, !s that marked this winter. when growing out of case of domestic ca lamity, by reason of the prominence of the principals engaged in it, which by reason of this, has become a National calamity-one hears on all sides and sees m all the papers discussions of the spirit tEN0k I,wI ~