Extended excerpt  [Speech addressing the role of women as social reformers & politicians – ‘Lady Astor’ was an American who became a English politician & was elected to the British Parliament.]:

“Above all do not let us start with a single ideal and let our efforts end there. An ideal is of no more use than a headache unless you strive to translate it into action. Now is our opportunity. Let us pray God that we may be worthy to seize it.” (p. 13, column 4)

Source link: “Mother Spirit Among Nations Is Hope of World” (19 February 1922) Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] https://www.newspapers.com/image/135552727/?terms=%22ideal%2Bis%2Bof%2Bno%2Bmore%2Buse%2Bthan%2Ba%2Bheadache%22

Extended excerpt [Newspaper coverage of Astor speech highlights]:

“Samples of wit from Lady Astor’s talk: “The more I see of men, the more I think of women.” “A good woman can make a good man, and a bad women – well, I won’t go into that.” “I married beneath me, as most women do.” “The British radio may be dull as ditch water, but at least it’s decent.” “Drink and sex are two things you don’t have to advertise. Why advertise what they’re going to get without urging?” (columns 1-2, p. 15)

Source link: “Lady Astor Attacks…” (9 Mar. 1955) Index-Journal, via Newspapers.com: https://www.newspapers.com/image/69637885/?terms=%22I%2Bmarried%2Bbeneath%2Bme%22%2B%2B%2BAstor

Extended excerpt  [Speech]:

“Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer – into a selflessness which links us with all humanity. Political education should do the same. The more I see of life the more I see that the only way is the narrow way and the broad view.” (p. 75)

Additional source: A reprint of Astor’s speech can also be found in “Lady Astor’s Adieu A Plea for Europe” (23 May 1922) The New York Times, Vol. LXXI, No. 23,495, New York, NY: New York Times Co., p. 1, column 5; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com

Source link [Astor speech text]: My Two Countries (1923) online via Open Library [free subscription service]: https://archive.org/stream/mytwocountries1954asto?ref=ol#page/n81/mode/2up

Source link [Additional source – contemporary newspaper coverage]: “Lady Astor’s Adieu a Plea for Europe” (23 May 1922) The New York Times, online via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https://www.newspapers.com/image/26754855/?terms=%22real%2Beducation%2Bshould%2Beducate%2Bus%2Bout%2Bof%2Bself%22

Extended excerpt  [Joking, in speech to League of Women Voters. The remark ‘we will leave Adam’ = changing the subject]:

“We have no record of Adam murmuring against the fruit – of his doing anything but eat it with docility. In passing, also, I would like to say that the first time Adam had a chance he laid the blame on woman – however, we will leave Adam.”

Source note: In My Two Countries, Astor noted that the speech was delivered before the League of Women Voters in New York, but no date is specified. Astor did participate in a week-long annual League of Women Voters convention in Baltimore & Washington, D.C. in late April 1922, but the speech does not appear to be from that event.

Source link: My Two Countries (1923) online via Open Library [free subscription service]: https://archive.org/stream/mytwocountries1954asto?ref=ol#page/n19/mode/2up/search/Adam

Extended excerpt  [From Astor’s speech to an annual Associated Press luncheon, as reported in The New York Times.]:

“We women feel we have moral courage and a sort of vision,” she added. “We don’t enter politics because of ourselves. To raise you men perfectly we’ve got to do a great many disagreeable things—to spank you when a spanking is needed and to love you when that is needed. Now we are ready to enter the political arena—don’t be frightened, and don’t try to discourage us too much. We women do talk too much, but even then we don’t tell half we know.” (p. 3, column 2)

Source link: “In Politics to Help the Men, Lady Astor Tells the Editors” (26 Apr. 1922) The New York Times [subscription service]: http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1922/04/26/99016102.html?pageNumber=1

Misattibution notes:

Modern sources tend to attribute the “penalty of success” quote (and variations of it) to editor M.W. Little (Mary Wilson Little) or to the American-born, British politician Nancy Astor.

The quote, however, predated both Little (1875-1952) and Astor (1879-2014) and was in print circulation not long after both women were born. To date, we have not been able to definitively trace the original author of this quote. A few examples of early use include:

1880 – Harrisburg Daily Independent -The quote appeared in a list of sayings, quips, and short news briefs in the newspaper’s ‘City and Vicinity’ feature: “The penalty of success is to be bored by the attentions of people who formerly snubbed you.” This quote was then repeated in similar ‘filler’ features in American newspapers between 1880-1881.

[Source: “Locallettes” (10 August 1880) ‘City and Vicinity’ feature, Harrisburg Daily Independent, Vol. VIII, No. 20, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, p. 4, column 1; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com]

1897 – Mary Wilson Little did include the quote in Reveries of a Paragrapher, her 1897 collection of epigrams, aphorisms, and other pithy sayings. Little did, however, preface her book with this disclaimer: “Many of the paragraphs of which this little book is composed, originally appeared in many papers; not a few here have been extensively copied. I have collected, revised, and published them in their present form at the earnest solicitation of my enemies. All rights reserved – even the right to dramatize.”

[Source: Mary Wilson Little (M.W.L.), Reveries of a Paragrapher (1897) London: T. Fisher Unwin, p. 7; online via Google Books, books.google.com]

1953 – Nancy Astor was attributed with a version of the quote in a 1953 “They Say” newspaper feature without any additional attribution: “The penalty of success is to be bored by people who snub you.” This quote was later repeated in a range of newspapers throughout the late 1950s. To date, Repeat Right has not been able to confirm whether or not Astor ever repeated wrote or repeated the quote…but we are certain she was not the original source.

[Source: “They Say” (25 August 1953) The Daily Notes, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, p. 4, column 1; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com]

Extended excerpt:

Although we know the “penalty of success” quote was in circulation as early as 1880, Repeat Right has not located the original origin of the quote, nor have we found an early example of the quote used in context of a spoken or written work. Please see “Misquotes” tab for additional details.

Source link [Earliest source located to date -1880]: “Localettes” (10 August 1880) Harrisburg Daily Independent, via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https://www.newspapers.com/image/82917317/?terms=%22penalty%2Bof%2Bsuccess%2Bis%2Bto%2Bbe%2Bbored%22

Source link [M.W. Little re-quote – 1897]: Reveries of a Paragrapher (1897) online via Google Books: https://books.google.com/books?id=JD0rAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA7&dq=%22who+formerly+snubbed+you

Source link [Astor attribution – 1953]: “They Say” (25 August 1953) The Daily Notes, via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https://www.newspapers.com/image/53663199/?terms=%22The%2Bpenalty%2Bof%2Bsuccess%2Bis%2Bto%2Bbe%2Bbored%22%2B%2B%2BAstor