The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-05-23
hrs. STANTON.

Mrs. Stanton has no cause to be dis
satisfied with the audience which her
reputation secured her on Tuesday night.
The large crowd attested the high esl-
nation in which she is held by the citi
zens of Manitowoc. If the audience ex-
pected display of eloquence, scholarly
analysis or extended research, such as
the celebrity of the lecturer would lead
them to anticipate, the lecture must have
been more productive of disappointment
than of qualification. We refer more
particularly to the style of delivery, the
originality of thought and beauty of die
/ ton than to the character of the
principles enunciated, as the accep
| lance or rejection of these is more
| dependent on the auditors bias
of mind than on the force of argument
with which they are sustained or the
clearness with which they are presented.
! There can be no doubt but that society
would be much benefited by the substi-
tuition of that practical form of religion
for which Mrs. Stanton pleads, for that
sentimental form which is marked by
cultivated selishness and pharisaical
rigk aousness. Mrs. Stanton draws a
clear distinction between that piety which
e4hausts itself in worldly glorlfication of
divine attributes and that healthy spirit
of benevolence which prompts generous
and charitable deeds. The covert ridi-
cule and latent sarcasm in portions of
her lecture give it sort of acrimony, i'll
striking contrast to the modesty of her
attitude and the gentleness of her lam
guage. Another striking feature OF her
lectures is the happy manner in which
she makes illustration serve the purpose
of argument. Few public speakers have
a more happy faculty of introducing
welltimed anecdotes which do more to
fortify the position taken than abstruse
reasoning could.
The lecture of Tuesday appeared to be
made up of fragments of various lectures,
which interfered sadly with continuity
of thought and logical precision, besides
giving portions of the lecture the appear
ance of being injected without regard to
their applicability to the topic under
discussion. Every thing relating to the
principles of the Liberal League could
not we'll be improved, temperate, clear
and candid, it aroused no hostility and
trenched upon no sensitive prejudice.
But woman's rights invariably occupy
Mrs. Stanton attention and whether she
discusses the dangers of a theocracy or
the barbarous practices of the Feeiee
islanders, woman's rights are in the van.
Mrs. Stanton ia evidently unacquainted
with the promptings of the emotional
nature" when she asserts that by extend
ing the right of franchise to women,
churches would be forced to pay their
proportion of taxes. The extending of
her "rights" to woman, in the estimation
of Mrs. Stanton, is a panacea for call
the ills that flesh is heir to- Mrs. STAN
ton has none Of the eloquence of action,
and except when she becomes animated
by striking the darling subject of her
heart, her style is conversational and
even has an air of WEAKNESS about it.
Some of her thoughts are beautiful, and
have all the imagery of poetic feeling.
For instance: ''The same breeze which
brought blessings to man. brought bur
dens to woman" Our ancestors came
with their faces turned toward the old
civilization cit is always better to
commend than to resist bad laws"