Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-12
ANNA'S HOT SPEECHES.
Clarkson Tells His Side of the
Trouble With Miss Dickinson.
SHE SHOUTED FOR FREE TRADE
And Waved the Bloody Shirt, Instead Of
Talking Republicanism.
HIGHEST PRICE PAID IN AMERICA

controversy between Anna Dickinson and
the Republican National Committee, a good
many men of both parties are beginning tc
say: "Well, seriously, how about that mat
ter? They didn't treat her just squarely,
did they?
am employed by the Republican Ma
tional Committee myself in the capacity Of
writer, and more than one good intentioned
person has said to me "Oh, you won't get
your money; look at poor Anna Dickinson
Last winter, while on a Southern trip,
met the Hon. Henry Watterson at dinner
party, in conversation with him, said: II
know another famous journalist-politician,
General Clarkson."
He bristled up at once and before the
whole party, in which there were half q
dozen ladies, be exclaimed: "What! that,
that-rascalr' (The adjective was Waiter
sonian). When he had exhausted his ready
supply Of party animosity, he subsidized and
with delightful heartiness. added: "Not
q word of that is true. Clarkson and I are
friends-he's one of the best fellows I
know" And then he told touching little
story, . good deed of Clarkson's s in aid of .
fellow being who had needed material help
and mental bracing up.
All, thought L, thus partisanship makes
towards of us all temporarily
CIarkson's Side of tho Case.
It is high time that the public know
whether the Republican National Commit
tee treated Miss Dickinson fairly, or did
not; whether three great strapping men,
Clarkson, Quay and Dudley, deliberately
cheated a poor, helpless woman out Of
money she had honestly earned or whether
they didn't 1 had talk with General
Clarkson the day he left New York for the
Minneapolis Convention. He has been q
personal friend of my family for dozen
years I was brought up to regard him as
an honorable man, a gentleman, and one
especially sympathetic and desirous Of
helping others in need of assistance. This
is the general opinion of James Clarkson's
personal friends. -
Tell me about Anna Dickinson and her
troubles?" I said.
81 don't like to talk about it," he re-
piled.
''That's what the Democratic papers say"
laughed, "and I would rather hear what
you say than what they think"
"Well, the reason don't like to talk Of
it is that Anna and 1 were near and dear
friends for great many years, and the
change is sad one to me-" He spoke very
quietly and dispassionately. II dislike
very much to controvert anything that
Anna has said. "-he frequently spoke of
her as sAnna" for she has been a grand
woman and an unfortunate one-"It seems
sad pity to disturb the feeling Of gratitude
4 ;ob - L. hor ho1 for
Anna Dickinson. Trouble, anxiety, disap-
pointed ambitions, have made these later
years of her life great trial to her. and I
am convinced that she is not responsible for
much that she says.
Miss Dickinson's Mental Condition.
"No," he continued, LOOKING out of the
window and shaking his head meditatively,
Gamma never would have done as she has if
she were accountable for it have never
heard such thrilling speeches as she made
in war days During the years which fol.
lowed our friendship continued unbroken.
stood by her publicly in my paper when
she made her unfortunate dramatic venture,
and felt the greatest sympathy for her be-
cause of her keen disappointment
''When the preparations were being
made for the campaign of 1888 she came to
Dudley and I and begged US to engage
her to make a series of speeches. I doubted
the advisability of it, and she went to
Hobart, of New Jersey, and made the same
request. He finally offered her S25 a
speech for a series. She came back to us
highly indignant at receiving what she con-
sidered SO small an offer, and pleaded with
me on account of our friendship to give
which to build home for her mother, to
whom she is devotedly attached. told
her 1 thought it would be a very good
thing for her mother to have pleasant
home, but it was impossible for the COM
mittee to build it.
''Still she importuned us, and, finally, IN
view of the wonderful effect her oratory
had had in the past, and because of her
great belief that she could be of extraor-
dinary value to us at that time, we engaged
her to give series of speeches at S125 each.
Highest Price for Partisan Oratory
"This is the largest sum ever paid any
orator by any party. General
George Sheridan-well, ought not to say
what he was paid, but it was nothing like
that sum. And we had one remarkably
clever orator who was satisfied with S15
speech. The rest of the committee thought
Dudley and had been pretty extravagant,
but we hoped that the results would justify
the expenditure.
"She gave IA lectures in the West, and
the reports we had from them were to the
effect that she was talking war issues and
much sectional feeling. The
fifteenth lecture was given in a town in
New York; have forgotten the name of
it-and that was the last. The next day we
had dispatches from the local managers that
Miss Dickinson was doing good deal of
damage, and ought not to be allowed to
speak again. In that town were a good
many Sontherners who were beginning to
think of coming over to US because of the
protection issue. Although. we were pay
ing her $125 lecture to talk on timely
party matters, she was depending for her
issues upon arousing the old war fire, when
we were most anxious to heal that wound.
we were advocating protection as the most
importanG issue for the consideration of the
people.
81 at once demonstrated with Anna and
she became very angry.
"'Do you mean to dictate to me as to what
[ shall say in my lectures?' she asked.
"'We can't have you talking free trade
when we believe that the prosperity of the
country depends upon protective policy
[ replied.
She Talked as Sho Believed.
"But don't believe in protection she
and l can't conscientiously talk
it. Yet we had engaged her at her own
insistence to help promulgate the principles
Of the Republican partyp'
'Would it not have been we'll to have
found out before she spoke at all what she
to talk about?" 1 interrupted
"Her reputation for being good Repub- |
ican was national; and, he went on, when |
ha o,f -ho hol
refused to let her speak she was incensed.
We tried to exnlain to her that she had MT |