Susan B. Anthony at the Reed Opera House, September 14th, 1871

You might recall trying to chase down details on Susan B. Anthony's talk at the Reed Opera House in 1871. Here, finally, is the way it was received in the Statesman as reproduced in the weekly edition of the paper.

Susan B. Anthony at the Reed Opera House
As reviewed, September 20th, 1871, pp. 1 and 2

On Wednesday the 20th, they reprinted a couple of unsigned pieces from over the weekend. She had given at least one talk on Thursday, September 14th. (Note Abigail Jane Scott Duniway as handling the introduction. The previous week's paper is not digitized, and so the press in advance of the talk is not available at the moment. For another time perhaps.)

From Friday's Daily

The Lecture last night. We are sorry that the time of going to press forbids us giving a full report. The audience present was large and as intelligent as has been our fortune ever to witness on such an occasion. The "Campaign Song" was sung by Miss Clara Duniway with great acceptance. Mrs. A. J. Duniway then introduced to the audience the speaker of the evening - Miss Susan B. Anthony - who began by speaking in glowing terms of the advantages and bright prospects of our young State. Her arguments in favor of Woman Suffrage were both logical and forcible. The speaker maintained that all we lacked as a Nation of fulfilling the hope of our fathers, was the granting of equal rights to all citizens of the Republic, both male and female. She argued that every girl should be educated to work - contrary to the idea that women are to be supported by the men, and that all knowledge of industrial pursuits is unnecessary. She showed conclusively that labor should have its reward whether performed by man or woman. Man, with the power of the ballot, has the chance of rising in the world to places of honor and preferment; woman, without it, must, of necessity, live without hope of rising above mediocrity. The lecture throughout was highly entertaining, fully establishing her reputation as an able defender of the cause.

And from a longer piece, perhaps from Sunday the 17th, again as reprinted on the 20th.

Susan B. Anthony.

The appearance of Susan B. Anthony among us created much interest, and the announcement that she would lecture on "Woman's Rights" drew out very large audiences, composed of persons of all shades of opinion. It is generally conceded that she told many truths and told them remarkably well. People may have expected that a champion of the new movement would be something of a scold, but the tones in which she did her scolding - for she did scold all mankind at a terrible rate - were decorous and womanly, so much so that the effect of her lectures was greatly enhanced by the admirable manner and apparent good taste of their delivery.

As we have said before, we recognize the important nature of the movement, and are not prepared to deny that the rights of woman need more protection, and it is certainly the first duty of man to accord to her every privilege she can claim, and we believe it will be his pleasure, also, to deny to wife, mother, and sister, nothing that make her happy or that can make the world at large happier or better.

We object to the tone of Miss Anthony's lectures because she assumes as the foundation of her argument that man is an unreasonable tyrant, that he is almost universally unfaithful to his marriage vow, and that he, in the average of cases, defrauds his wife of her just earnings and denies her any voice in government or any protection under the law. She would make marriage a matter of business; we would wish to have it considered ever as a sacred obligation which only death should part, except under the most cruel circumstances. She denounces the laws with reference to woman's rights, whereas the statute or our State is strongly in her favor. She sums up the evils incident to society, which are promoted to a certain degree by the very civilization we boast of, and claims they can all be cured by giving women the ballot, a remedy which we could wish to be efficient, but which we have only her word for, which she established by no reasoning that deserves to be called logic. And she smoothed over the difficulties in the way with silky touch, as if woman was, of course, an angel, whose nature would survive the pollution of politics and sustain no blemish by becoming ambitious for office.

Miss Anthony asserted much - and with plausible voice and earnest manner, proved little. Gathering our wives and daughters together by themselves, she told them men were as a class unfaithful, and we regret to say that she illustrated her private lecture with improbable anecdotes that were borrowed from a condition of society a political stump orator could scarce invade with impunity. We believe that when the first effect of her appearance wears away, the women of Oregon will realize that while she told many truths and told them well, she treated their own husbands and fathers unfairly. Though there are many as bad as she described - too many - still we resent the charge, brought, by a disappointed and sarcastic woman - neither a wife or mother - against the race of men who are to-day carrying civilization to its highest point, raising human nature above its former level, giving woman more privileges than she has ever bad, and whose motto is freedom, equality, common education and the elevation of the laboring classes. She is not entirely disinterested, either, in adopting the role of a reformer, for she seems to have received a very handsome sum, even here in Salem, for her attempt to prove that "all men are liars."