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“To tlie Rescue.”A large and brilliant audience, consisting of the intelligenne and elite of our city, assembled in the new and magnificent Opera House last evening to listen to the gifted Miss Anna Dickinson’s lecture on “To the Rescue.” At a few minutes past eight o’clock, Mr. Richard Tennant came forward escorting the “geutie Anna,” whom he introduced to the anxious and expectant people present in a few well selected remarks.THE LECTURE.Miss Dickinson prefaced her remarks by speaking of some of the characteristics of the minds and ideas of people in general, and the American people in.particular, and especially the grasping for the “almighty dollar” and of lands, both by individuals and the general government, the latter of which was grasping for San Domingo. [Laughter.]She then came to the great question of government, and said that men now-a-days do not vote for principle, but for demagogues who represent, or rather misrepresent parties. Voters now goto the polls and vote for men to represent them in the legislative . halls of the nation whom they would not trust behind their counters with the keys of their safes for a single moment, unless they could keep their eyes upon them. [Applause.]Men devoted all their time and all the energies of their lives to business, for the advancement of their own selfish interests in the way of accumulating property; and leave the government in the hands and under the management of men whom they would not trust in private business matters, aye, and so devoted are they to party that they would vote for men that they inwardly despise and loathe. People she said, did not devote enough attention to primary meetings; but allow them to be managed by the lowest and most corrupt class of petty “wire-pullers.”At the primary meeting, should belaid the foundation of all good governments, but it is not so done.In .speaking of woman’s connection with the great question of the politics of the day, she said she did not stand there as a woman, but as an American citizen, loving her country; that this country is just as much hers as any ones else ; that the flag which floats over us all is just as dear to her as it could possibly be to any one present. [Applause.] The women of to-day do not ask personal privileges, but that as their right and just due, they do ask and demand j j j that the shackles shall be stricken from ses j their hands and the clogs from their feet.' [Renewed applause.]Having the right to act, those who were not devoted to the frivolities of the world, but who have brains and souls will rush to the rescue of our degenerating government, and add a purifying element thereto, which would regenerate and rescue it.She said that there are three classes of women in thecountry, “butterflies” and “drudges,” who represent the two extremes, while the wives, mothers and daughters of farmers, merchants and mechanics represent the middle classes, and in reality constitute the intelligence and worth of their sex and would add such dignity to American politics as never was before known if it were placed in their power.Many’ opponents of female suffrage advocated muscle as a standard by which to gauge the qualification of voters, and believed that women should not be en franchised because they could not shoulder a musketaud “on to the front;” but the lecturer thought that proviso would dii franchise Horace Greeley, who, instead of wielding a sabre during the late, war, iat behind the ink bottle and “slung quill,” and gave the command almost daily “on to Richmond !” [Laughter.]If this doctrine be true, why should a a man vote who has been disqualified by accident to limb from serving his country in the field ? She thought that would disfranchise all those men who were maimed in the service of their country. And who, if any, had the right of voting in this country, should it be but those who defended her in the hour of her peril.Miss Dickinson said that women are made to pay taxes, bear the penalties of the laws made by men, etc., etc., and clearly esiablished the injustice of “taxation without representation.”She believed that if women were granted the right of franchise the “world would be the better for it,” for then and not until then would “the girl of the period” have some object in life other than the following of the ever changing fashions of the day, which of itself was sufficient reason for the granting of the right.The lecture throughout was a most able, eloquent and logical one and was listed to with the closest attention by the largest and most intelligent audience that has assembled in this city, upon the occasion of a lecture, this season.The discourse was such a one as will advance the noble and worthy cause, to which she has devoted her life, and one which gave her cause such an impetus as it has never received in this city. May she come often, and may her life be spared yet for many years, for we are of the candid opinion that the great cause of women could better afford to lose any other of iC-s advocates than the brilliant and logical young Miss Anna Dickinson.cit-
Newspaper Details
Terre Haute Daily Gazette
Terre Haute, Indiana, US
Thu, Mar 02, 1871
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Vigo C.
IN, USA 09 Mar 2024
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