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About The new Northwest. (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1874)
i .JANUARY SO, 1S74. FRIDAY.. ANNUAL MEETING OP THE WOMAN SUFFBAGE ASSOCIATION. The first annual meeting of the Oregon State Woman Suffrage Association will be held In Portland, Febuaty 13 and 14. Delegates from all parts of the State are expected to be present. First-class speakers have been Invited to address the meetings. California and Washington Territory are respectfully invited to co-operate withms. Friendt, all that is needed to make our cause succeed is earnest efforts among those most deeply Interested. Let us have a rousing meeting in the name of Freedom, Justice and Human Rights. AbbyB. Gibson, C. A. Cobdrn, President, Secretary. APOLOGY. "We trust tbat our readers will kindly overlook the absence of the usual amount of editorial Jabor. upon tbcpa' per this week; the "Centennial Toast and Tea Party" having absorbed no much of our time and attention that we have been, necessarily, oblivious to at most all else. "WOMAN SUFFBAGE." The patient and long-suffering readers of Sam Clarke's Statesman had opportu nity, one day last week, to wade through a verbose Introduction to the "Woman Question," In its columns, abounding In Interminable platitudes, silly false hoods, eomi-sensatlonal nonsenso and Insane sophistries, until, at last, he stumbled suddenly upon the following: All the fear we Imvo In establUnlnc Woman Suffrage Is that thereby woman may lose the paramount influence she bos now with man, that Iho blush of the III' may be soiled, that politic may degrade her instead of Midstlng herto purify society. When we first read this startling statement our mind llashed from our own sanctum over across the country to the Statesman office, where, poringover his editorial effort, sat the cadaverous and Incorruptible Sammy one of the law-makers of the laud, you know, upon whose superior innocence (?) wo men must depend to save the "lily from being soiled!" For should she once be come emancipated from his superior dic tation, and should henceforth dare to think and act for herself, this self-same innocent creature, upon whom she must now rely to be kept virtuous, will "de grade her" by his politics, "instead of assisting her to purify society!" Shades of logic, and long-drawn shadows of Ideal paradoxes! How we are aston ished ! Having relieved his sotlred Imagina tion of the above skimble-skamble, this pure-minded political effete goes for the editor of this paper in the following rhe torical raphsod y, which weprint in order that the uninitiated may see what a man's gangrened conscience may be sometimes led to conjure up with which to accuse Its betlers: One thing we must consider entfcblubed by the history of the movement so fur, which Ik: that some women may push themselves for ward with unscrupulous effrontery as place hunters, Join cabals and lay political plots, and be among the most unscrupulous of political schemers. We sco In our own state a woman boldly anuouuelngax her editorial motto that she will ndvoeate the claim of, and work with, any party or jmrtlsan who favors female suf frage, which Is nV In to that obsolete religious creed which declared that the end Justifies the men. Now, we have never yet known a succssful general to please a resisting foe by his manner of conductingacampalgn. Neither have we ever known an enemy of freedom to tell the truth concerning his rival, if lie could possibly avoid It. Such demagogues as Mr. Clarke, who have no other idea of political action than the Joining with "place-hunters, political cabals and plot-layers," who are themselves as his record proves "the most unscrupulous of political schemers," are sure to rate the success of other people with their own unscru pulous attempts to secure coveted prizes. We have no doubt, Sammy, bnt that you would bo pleased If we should grind your political ax Instead of wo man'. That's human nature, and we'll try hot to censure you too severely for your selfishness. Hut we ask your readers and yon too (if your opinion is wortli a straw how any political prob lem can be solved except on the very basis which you 50 sweepingly con demn ? The women are engaged in, a hand-to-hand struggle with a political foe composed largely of Just such speci mens of fossilized humanity and all-ab-orblng selfishness as your own sancti monious seU. Thct know that in order to secure the priceless boon of personal freedom they must submit, for the time being, to an order of thing with which they cannot assimilate, but which they must take advantnge of and use, even as men, though not believing In war, clasp eagerly the red hand of Revolution iu their hour of need,, "advocating the claims of any partisan that favors" freedom and Justice. And the result, eir, has, in their case, proven very clearty that the "end justified the means." Women who are not ready to go down into the very cess-pool of politics, andso trouble the waters there that the angel or freedom may have opportunity to enter and purify it, ,10 not deserve the bless ug of indivldualllberty. Let such be cringing, fawning slaves If they like There are hundreds of thousands of other women who scorn to lick the hand that smites them with oppres sion, or cater to their enemies for a little vapid praise. These are the wo men who, having not the fear of such political tricKstera as yourself before their eyes women who have sense enough to accept the situation as it is and work from a practlacl, rather than an ideal staud-poiut, In their determi ualion to purify the "filthy .pool;" wo men who command an itifluenco which you may never hope to wield these are they who have grasped this political problem and are rapidly solving it, not to please their enemies but to conquer tucm; not to secure the praise of covert foes, but to gain the approbation of their own consciences and the reward of good intentions and intelligent action which never falls to be granted them by men of integrity and brains. Says Mr. Clarke: If participation of women In politics would purify the political system and give ui social advancement as well as honest administration and good government, then we need the pres ence or women at the polls and In the council chamber. In this we agree with our brother per fectly. Indeed, we are almost con strained to forgive him his unkind words above quoted In consideration of this confesaion. But behold! Hero is something else: If she Is to struggle for petty place and ofllce. Ay, there's the rub! If woman would only consent to vote as man would dic tate, and have no personal aspirations, this Incorruptible politician wouldn't object to giving her the ballot; but If she is to struggle for place ami demand office, his very soul shudders at the idea! Women might get "clerk-ships" if they were permitted to hold office, mightn't they, Sammy ? Yoitr record as clerk Is published in another column. No won der yew would dread to see women in office. But how the political right be came yours, and how you became em powered with the ability to give or withhold it, with or without conditions, is not clear to us, and it Is more than probable that other folks will fail to sec it, too. Now, brother Clarke, wo cannot do better in closing these comments than to quote one paragraph from the edito rial under consideration, which, had it been the onlyono in the article, might have gone far toward making you im mortal. Alas for you that you didn't know wheli you had said enough: There Is, at the present time, a movement go ing on In our land, which has not the least con nection, that we are aware of, with the woman suffrage movement, yet we think Is destined to exercise a great Influence in that direction, and perhaps result In deciding the vexed ques tion. The new order of Patrons of Husbandry consists of both sexen, and wherever It Is insti tuted we notice that women act an Important part and taVe a deep Interest. It Is remarkable that In this work of social reconstruction and checking corruption, speculaUon and monopo ly, men have called the women to their aid, and bo have lent to the Grange a charm which ancient chivalry might have envied, ami which must certainly temper the heat and pxsou of man's strife, by the presence and Influence ot woman. ISrlleslng.as we tin, that the Grange Is destined to accomplish a revolution In social business life, and Influence the cause of politi cal events to a great extent, we loot upon the presence and active participation of woman in the Orange movement as tending to a solution of the whole woman suffrage question. GOING TO W0EZ ABIGHT. Our Friends in Salem, despite the dep recatory remarks of their leading local paper against our political course, have gone to work In earnest, in the way so long advocated by us, to secure the bal lot for women. A resolution was adopted at their re cent omau Suffrage meeting forcflect lng a permanent organization, In which the Marlou County Woman Suffrage Society Is pledged to support no candi date for the Legislature who is not in favor of Woman Suffrage, and who will not labor for the passage of a bill to that end. This is what we call an Im portaut step In the right direction Once get men and women so deeply im bued with the great principle of Human Rights that they are ready to forego all personal Issue, and private prejudices In other directions, and work with and for any candidate who is pledged to work with and for this paramount poli tical need of the times, and they will soon see that they are wielding a power which will surprise themselves. It will be time enough to moralize upon woman's duties as a politician after she shall have opened the door to her political habitation. And we advise all croakers who exclaim in holy horror against the Woman Movement becauc we are not content with therolzlug, merely, to just be patient till woman res cues the ballot, tho key to her liberties, from the mire of politics into which it has fallen, and then she may unlock the doors of a habitation which she must enter andp0s.cc.s4 before it can be purified by her presence. TOASTS AND TEA. In addition to the musical, amusing, grotesque and literary exercises at Ma sonic Hall on this and to-morrow even ings, an elegant collation will be spread and a variety of .original "Toasts" over the "Tea" and coffee will be given by prominent ladles and gentlemen, and responded to in an appropriate manner. FAITH. Ve bavetalth In the people that thry can govern themselvi., and can trust themselves far safer than they can trust professional poli ticians. Sam Clarke. So have we, sir. Aud for that reason, and no other, do we strivo daily to em ancipate one half of the people from tho domination and misrule of the other half. "PUEIFIOATION." We sympathize with the worthy citi zens of Forest Grove over their present xceahbj editorial visitation. The only- way we could purify our garments auer having opened the last Independent was by doing as did the the nnfortunate man 1 who had encountered a polecat. e burled 'cm a upell. Grace Greenwood recently lectured in New York City before a large audience upon the subject of Woman Suffrage. She confidently expects that Colarado, of which Territory she Is now n resident, wm d admitted as a State with Its women enfranchised. THE FBELINGHUYSEN BILL. A legal gentlemen ot Salt Lake City, whose acquaintance and friendship we value highly, has written us at length in favor of Senator Frelinghuysen's Utah Bill. We are sorry he docs not give us liberty to publish his argument In full over his own signature, as its subject matter is candidly discussed. He corrects the statement made In these columns that the Bill passed the Senate Instead of the House last year; and, as he fails to convince us that the Bill is what it ought to be, we suppose it Is but Just that we place the blame of the first passage upon the guilty party, which was the Houso of Representatives. Says our friend: "The provision of the Bill enacted that tho common law of England, as it existed at tho date of tho Revolution, shall lie the law and rule of decision in all the Territories, unless altered by loical statute and was intended to settle that by statute, which has been recognized by the courts of all the Territories ex cept Utah; and Its main purpose was to settle whether the rules of the 'civil' or 'common' law should furnish the guide to tho courts in tho absence of statutes. By this provisiou the right of dower will be returned to every lawful wife in Utah, tho repeal of which, by legislation, has been the cause of so much complaint. The same provision exists in Washington Territory, existed in Oregon before she was organized as a Territory, and now exists, by local stat ute, In everyTerritory, except Utah.Wy- omlng included, and has no more to do with the giving of the elective franchise to woman than ithas witli controlling the course of the moon. It Is Intended sim ply to settle by authoritative construc tion the question whethcr'the civil or common law shall prevail; a question that has given rise to much discussion In tho Utali courts. If the women of this country proposo to adopt the degrading rules of the old 'civil law' iu contradiction to the spirit of the common law, then let them do so, but they evidently don't understand what they are about while doing so. The common law docs not confer the right of suffrage on women, it Is true, nor does it on anybody, for that matter. The elective franchise depends for Its existence upon statutes, in this country, and the adoption, or unadoptiou of the cuuiiuuu law us a, iuio m uctisiuu iui 1 the courU, has no more to do with the ; elective franchise than It has with the j question of subsidies to railroad compa- tiles. A.uv J 'iillOLll mu.i ..... Ject to the l'rellnghtiysen bill because It amends the statute of Utah coufer Ing suffrage on women. Have either of you ever seen that law? a law that rivets the fetters of degradation upon the poor, brutalized victims of lust and fanaticism in Utah, and adds the con tempt of compelling them to draw tighter the chains while they wear them. Having first, by a system of brutallsm so revolting that In otbercivilized coun tries it consigns those who indulge in it to tho cell of the felon, reduced the women of' Utah to the mosj. abject shame, they seek to divert the attention of the country from their crimes by con ferring, nominally, the right to vote on women, and some of our avowed advo cates of the question of universal suf frage allow themselves to be caught in this transparent snare. Why is that tile anomaly of reducing women to mere 'things' through the system of polygamy has not iuvitcd scrutiny into the paradox of investing these 'things' with the elective franchise? When Napoleon was chosen First General he iiad the ballots of the people, but how ? 'Vote as you please, but remember that he who docs not cast his vote for General Bonaparte shall bo shot.' The women of Utah are entitled to vote, but every Mormon woman knows that to vote for J her freedom Is to bring down upon her bead .swift and Irrevocable ruin. ou might as well have advocated suffrage for the slaves of the South before their emancipation. The ballot that does not and cannot express the sentiment of the voter is a burlesque on tho right of suM frage, in that the suffrage makes women sanction tlielrown degradation and sup- port a system which they at heart ab-'Bproej neglecting her duties, spending hor. It is a cruelty that has about it a money fornaught.and bringingdisgracc coolness atid ingenuity (hat is purely upon hls household? Women only sub satanic. Anil your intelligent" advo-!,nitto suci, jnjustico because they are cates of woman's right to vote In order I compelled to, the laws of the land being .... t t...l f 1 . 1 4l to give ner iiiuepeimence, auu uievum her to the social ami business depart ments of life, are blinded by their seem ing adherence to.prlnclplo into an in dorsement of that which to-day Isdolng more to keep the women of Utah in the bondage of polygamy than all else. ' "Would uot the giving of the ballot to the Southern slave without emancipat ing him from the control of his master have been but a cruel mockery? It would have added simply to the power of the oppressor. "Such Is thesltuatlon In Utah, and the residents of this woman-degrading Ter ritory know this and have asked that the statuto be annulled, which enables the 'enemies of woman's elevation to keep her iu her present degraded posl- ! tion. "Let emancipation be accomplished first, and then the ballot can be given 1 where it can bo iied to express tho I wishes of the voter. "Now as to the statute of Utah which wc ask shall be amended: "First, you arc aware, probably, that a large majority of women In Utah are of foreign birth, and when, according to Mormon statements, you are Informed that there are fArfe thousand men, who have from one to twenty wives each, you can judge of tho number of women who are living Ii polygamy ten thous and Is a low estimate. There are then threo thousand male natives, aud ten thousand women who are committed by ! their votes to tho system of polygamy j saying nothing of the non-polygamous movement the former being a majority I of two-thirds of tho voters of tho Terrl- tory. Tho law not ouly allows the wives, but the daughters of male citi zens to vote, without reference to age and without naturalization, requiring 110 time of residence except on the part of tho husband, and thus we are over borno by a tide of ignorance and fa nataclsni in defiance of all right or jus tice. "You call Senator Frelinghuysen's Bill a 'serpeut. If you had felt the ser pent's tooth that tills Bill proposes to extract you would not thus speak. I yield to no one in the sincerity of my advocacy of the doctrine of Universal. Suffrage; but Its application nitist, like all other measures, be governed by circumstances of time and place. You seem not to comprehend that you cannot apply the same rule to a set of Ignorant crazy fanatics that you could to a civi lized and Sane community. Remember that when you deal with lunatics you may have, to put them Into straight- jacket treatment; and rules perfectly ap plicable to other Territories cannot be adopted in Utah. Her people must first bo emancipated from religious fanati cism; must realize something of the responsibilities of citizens before they can be trusted with those sacred privileges which even'the best-Informed often nbuse." If our friend doesn't want us to print what ho writes, he mustn't write sucli good letter?. And with this apology for publishing so much of his letter as relates to Senator Frelinghuysen's Bill, we now proceed to notice tho main fea ture of the Bill, which Is the determi nation to disenfranchise the women of Utah: We have no doubt but our friend truthfully portrays tho system of com polling Mormon wives to vote accord ing to the dictates of their masters; but we fail to see why the women, only, should be deprived of the right of suf frage because the Mormon men compel them to abuse the right. We should heartily scccud the passage of a Bill to disfranchise both meu and women who live in polygamy, but, despite our corre spondent's disclaimer, we emphatically insist that any legislation which makes invidious distinction against women as American citizens Is a serpent more dan gerous than the deadliest Cobra. We all know that the old English common law recognizes no property rights in woman which her husband Is i..,t..l t a ..,1 n. .ti.i of ,,..... to . nrsK utabf or anrwlicre eise( thmU ,)0 rc Bpecteti we must uot fonret tlmt therc are thousands of .Mormon women whom the provisions of this Bill would cut off from any claim to a support from their fractional husbands for themselves and children. These women are Just'as good, morally, as the "legal," or first wives, many of whom espoused Mor monism, polygamy and nil, of their own free-will and choice. They and their children have moral rights, despito their degradation, which the legal wife and children cannot rightfully Ignore. If the ballot in their bauds, and those of their masters, is a fetter, strike it from the hands of both oppressor and oppressed and we shall not complain but let Congress pass tho infamous Bill of insidious class legislation now pending, and the Nation shall witness a clamor compared to which that over the back salary steal was mere child's play. "INFLUENOE.1 A lady who resides about a hundred miles from the city has been in town for several days past, engaged iu attend lug to some business which her voting lord came In to do, but got on a drunken spree aud failed to accomplish it. This lady has never yet perused the Woman Suffrago papers, consequently she has tin Idea that it is not the ballot, but in fluence that women need to enable'them to control man's proclivity for drunken ness. But she subscribed for tho New Northwest, and we have no doubt but Its perusal will convert her to an un derstanding of the fact tliat political rights form the basis of personal influ ence among both men and women. Where Is the man who would patiently brook the "snectaclo of his wife on n the hands of husbands who annroprl- ate woraens' .earnings to their own uses and claim all the property amassed by both in the marriage co-partnership. But Isn't it just a little egotistical in our brethren to claim that their sex, as a class, must be entrusted with all the political prerogatives of both sexes when so many men fall, through the fascina tions of the wine-cup, against which their so-called weaker wives are proof to take care of themselves aud their business, much less their wives and children, and the affairs of the Nation ? Without political rights, woman's In fluence Is like unto an eagle chained. It cannot exert itself to any advantage except through such cunning artifice as any properly balanced mind despises. Let her have political rights and the consequent pecuniary power resulting therefrom, and we shall soon see her In fluence exerted to some tangible purpoe in settling the liquor nuisance. ANSWERS TO C0BKE3P0NDENTS. week At- tend to tho "call." Dr. Watts, Lafayette: Will attend to the matter on Monday next. Mrs. B. W. C: You will be apprised of the matter in Saturday's daily pa- 1 pers. Haven't time to attend to. it be fore going to press. An open letter to the Boston Com monwealth by Mrs. F. F. Victor .will be a feature of the Centennial entertainment. ELEOTION OF OFPIOEBS. The Marion County Woman Suffrage Association met at 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon, an adjourned meeting for the purpose of electing officers tinder the Constitution adopted at the last meet ing. The Secretary not being present, Mrs. Bowman was chosen Secretary pro tern. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and adopted. t the suggestion of Mr. Hawiey the Constitution and By-Laws were read for the benefit of those who were not present at their adoption. After stating the purpose for which they had met, the President, Mrs. Belle W. Cooke, stated that those who Jiad not already done so could come forward and sign tho Con stitution before proceeding to the elec tion of officers. The opportunity was Improved by quite a number, and dur ing this time some very earnest remarks from Mr. Avery were listened to. The election of officers was then pro ceeded with, and Mrs. John Minto was chosen -President of the Association on the second ballot, for the term of one year. As there were three Vice Presidents to elect, It was decided to voto for all threo at once; and Mrs. Wm. England and Mnj. Geo. Williams were elected on the first ballot no minority for the third Mrs. John Jordan being elected on tho secotul ballot. For Recording Serelary, Mr. R. T. Hawiey was elected on the first ballot. Mrs. Belle W. Cooke was elected Corresponding Secretary on the first ballot. For Treasurer, there was no election on the first ballot, and, on motion, the By-Laws were suspended and Mrs. J. A. Johns was elected by acclamation. This order of himiuess being declared closed, .Mr. John .Minto ollered a con gratulatory resolution relative to the appointment of the widow of the late Hon. Jos. G. Wilson Postmaster at Dalles City, which was adopted. Mr. Avery offered a resolution looking to the organization of branch Clubs or Association, in the different precincts of tho county, and other minor matters, which, on motion, was postponed until the next meeting. Mr. Avery then of fered a second resolution, binding the Association to support no candidate for tho Legislature who was trot in favor of Woman Suffrage, and who would not labor for the pusHge of a bill to that end. The resolution was adopted. On motion of Mrs. P. L. Price, It was decided to appoint seven Delegates to attend the Woman Suffrage Convention to be held at Portland on the 13th and Hth of next month. The Delegates ap pointed for that purpose were Mrs. P. L Price, Mrs. W. S. Moores, Mrs. W. D. Prentice, Mrs. J. D. Foltz, Mrs. S. C. Adams, C. A. Reed, R. T. Hawiey. On motion, the Association adjourned to meet again at 3 o'clock r. M., next Saturday. OBGANIZE MDBGANIZE ! Friends of Woman Suffrage, men and women, without distinction of party, in every locality, are urgently requested to form, In their own town without de lay, a WOMAX SUFFRAGE l'OUTICAI. CLU11, Composed of members who will sign the following article of association: Wc, the undersigned, residents of In the State of , of all. political par ties, believing that Woman Suffrage is a vital political issue, do hereby organ Izc into a U'owcm Suffrage Politiced Club, for the purpose of forward ing the movement morally and po- llticallv, by the systematic circula tion of tracts and newspapers, by hold ing public meetings, and especially by helping to elect the friends of Suffrage to the Legislature aud to Congress, and by helping to defeat Its opponents. The Incorruptible Politician. .utt U1U iaui illl lit vsuiuiiaucui uj testimony that would be conclusive in a -v- .1.- r-i 1. . mi.ki;d1ii 1... Court of Justice, that the editor of the Statesman, Clerk of the last House, got $00 coin, with a promise of $10 more, for the amendatory lee uin, uic luenncai bill mentioned in ourartlcle. IIegot$40 for the University bill. He cot S20 on the general appropriation bill. He got money for smothering Mrs. Dr. Mary Sawtello's immigration bill. But why multiply tho instances? Except in the case of the revisory fee bill, we can give the names of tho men who paid the money In every case. In that case the money was no doubt paid by the lobby of Sheriffs and Clerks. There Is a prom inent Republican In Marlon county who is cognizant of $00 being paid to this same Olerk for this same sort of disre putable service; an influential citizen of Jackson county paid tho Clerk money for a like service, wlch is not In cluded in the above enumeration. The gross amount of this Clerk's earnings, including some that were legitimate, was about $2,000 for the session. Tills, upon his own admissions, is conclusively shown admissions made before the Granges got to be a power in the land, aud before he had made up his mind to run with them and reform politics. The lobby all talked about this venal ity of the Clerk about being able to hire him to place a bill anywhere in the file. As Hen Owens expressed it, iu his peculiar vocabulary, "he (the Clerk) shuffled, cut and dealt.". Evening yens. Business Wivks in Washington. The Burlington (Iowa) Gazette has the following, touching the business qualifi cations of tho wives of-our public men: The Washington ladies havea pecul iar way of doing business of th'eirown. Vice President Wilson's wife conducted business on her own hook, so it was dis covered as soon as Credit Mobiller came to light. When it was discovered that Harlan was getting rich faster than any honest man could upon a stated salary, it was discovered that Mrs. Harlan had been buying a thirty-thousand-dollar house and furnishing it. When Grant got into a tight placo In regard to the Black Friday operation, it was told that Mrs. Grant had been in some speculation with her brother-in-law, Corbin. And now, when Williams had suddenly risen from poverty to affluence, simply upon a salary, Io and behold he has a smart wife, who has been speculating in Wash ington property, and been very successful. Woman Suffrage and our Law-Makers. The debate unon the Utah bill, iu the House Committee on Territories, which occuned in Washington on Tuesday, revealed tho fact that an tne aiiacKs made upon the exercise of suffrage by the women of Utah, charging that the experiment was a failure, were ground less; ana it was amy aisuw uj Wilcox, that the cvu 01 iysiuj, wliloli it was honed Woman Suffrage l nKnllah. still continued because there had never been a iair lest mauo uj 1 ----- -- . . , , woman's wishes to the matter; anu mat tvMIo Hi in iv rentiired all ballots cast at all elections to be numbered, 01 ,have the name written uiereon, n uum Impossible to tell how women would vote on the question. On the same day that this discussion occurred, Senator Sargent Introduced into the United Slates senate "A Memorial" irom jira. Stanton and Mis3 Anthony, praying "to be allowed to vote on an equality with colored men." We do not believe it is possible for a man who has a spark of manhood in his nature, to read that memorial and not feel conscience-smitten that those noble women were not permitted to enter the kingdom of po litical eoualitv bv the Fourteenth Amendmeut, Instead of being compelled to cnuuro the humiliation 01 oeing ioiu by colored Representatives, as lias been the case, that they could not vote; those men, too, who owe their freedom and ultimate enfranchisement to women. Sirs. Stanton and Miss Anthony devoted the best years of their lives to tho cause of the enslaved negro, and when his freedom was secured, and his enfran chisement proposed, they only asked that they be allowed to receive inejai lot with tho black man. "No!" thun dered the "white man;" and ".No!" echoed back from colored members or Congress, when the former slavo be came a "man and a brother" to the "white malo" citizen. Our State Leg islature lias again been appealed to by the women of California asking for the right to vote, and through the e (Torts of Assemblyman Aldrlcb, a resolution passed the House, asking for the ap pointment of a special Joint Committee to consider the question. The action of the Assembly in relation to this matter commends itself to every lover of jus tice and right; but the unceremonious disposition of the same resolution by the Senate, evidenced that those "high in authority" have in this instance at last vermed the homely old adage that "the fools are not all dead yet." The oppo nents of Woman Suffrage may glory over this temporary triumph, in the tabling of that resolution, but their re joicing will be short-lived. The time is near at liauu wiien woman win occupy the place of citizenship, the peer of men white and black, politically, and those who now seek to postpone the time by adverse Legislative action, will be re membered then, and can rest assured they will be elected to stay at home thereafter, while their places will be filled by men and womeu who believe in, and respect the basic principles of our Government, to-wit, "the inherent right of the governed, to a voice in the Government." Stockton Leader. Shall "Women be Emancipated ? I am well aware that this interroga tory, though often advanced, is still met by many with indifference. The customs and usages of society are so firmly fixed, that what Is really wrong seems to be right because it has always been practiced. It is readily under stood, In sptakingof the American race, what emancipation meant for them. That question having been settled by a baptism of blood, the time has come to throw aside all false ideas, and give this question the iiivestlgon it demands. But little thought or exertion is neces sary to come to the realization of this fact: that there U a class of people de prived of their natural rights merely on account of sex. What a stranxe reason for oppressing a part of our race, and withholding from them the universal right of the American citizen, for en franchisement has belonged to women ever since the establishment of Ameri can independence. Shall she longer ask for rights that are her own ? Shall such injustice, long meted out to her, still coutinuc? The halls of learning, that are the pride and boast of our laud, are closed against her; tho entrances to ele vated and lucrative positions are refused her; consequently she has to perform the most unremitting toil to secure a livelihood for herself and those she is obliged to support: and if so fortunate as by such self-denial to lay by a surplus against the time of need, a portion must be rendered tomantain the Government, the laws ot which she must obey or suf fer the extreme penalty. There has never been given any wise aud consistent reason why women should be denied her God-given rights. It is often asserted that if the ballot were given her, sho would not use It. This reasoning is as sensible as the grand -parent who forbttdo his fa vorite going near the water until he had learned to swim. Did not the noble Miss Anthony and others at the peril of reputation and property cast their vote into the Nation's history? Give her the power, and let the non-fulfillment rest upon her own head. Fearless, able women have been agi tating this question for a quarter of a century. Though met with opposition aud reverses, tho cause has steadily ad vanced, and to-day receives the aid and encouargemcnt of the philanthropists and statesmen of the land. In looking from the past to the present, a candid observer cannot fail to observe the magnitude of their work and the grand results that must surely follow. Toledo Journal. Woman Suffrage. The Providence Journal a paper of highly conservative tone and antecedents says: "Whatever views we may entertain as to the right of woman to the suffrage, there are cer tain things to be said in regard to It which will not be permanently put aside by a sneer, noroversloughed by ridicule. It Is all nonsense to say, on the one hand, that either man or woman has a natural right to vote; it is just as futile to say that a woman, because she Is a woman, and without regard to her in terest, pecuniary, social, aud political, in the welfare of the community, shall have no voice In deciding questions which affect her pocket, her civil rights, and her happiness as a citizen. In view of recent national legislation, it must be difficult to argue that the infusion of the feminine influence could, by any possibility, weakeu the mental or stand ing of our legislators. There are a good many women who will have to nay an additional amonnt of tax in consequence of tho increased salaries of the members of Congress, and there would seem to be no injustice in their having the right to say what they think as to the fitness of those proposed as the recipients of this uot modest remnnorntion." A very gauzy story is told of a woman in the town of Denmark, Iowa, who was possessed of the Idea that she had com mitted the unpardonable sin, and that "the words of tier mouth were not ac ceptlble in His sight." She made a vow never to utter another syllable that was Ave years ago, and to this day she has not broken it. Her two younger children havo never heard their moth er's voice. New York Woman's Meeting and Spirit of the Press. A prominent feature of the Woman's Jleetinir in Now Ynrt .,.,,. "Of the resistance by the American H "unnreil years ago, of the tax imposed on tea, was its entire dignity and earnestness and the entire absence of sensationalism. The burden of all the speeches was the injustice and ty ranny of taxing the property of women and allowing them no representation. Incidents were related of women in va rious parts of the country, who had he roically and persistently resisted the In vasions of the assessor, aud in some case? iudgment had been obtained against tho women thus resisting; but, proving that the men were really bet ter than the laws, no attempt had been mado to enforce the judgment. It was stated by Miss Anthony, that In Roch ester alone there were 5,000 tax-paying women, representing $7,000,000. The irerald speaks in terms of unqual ified approval of the spirit of the meet ing, according to the demands of ;the women, logic, justice and jirecedent. Its .comments on Miss Anthony, whom . it says was introduced as the"great champion of liberty," were couched In terms of almost affectionate respect. It denominates her the "honest veteran," and thus describes her appearance on the occasion: She was dressed plainly, in bla;k; her hair wa3 done up in the old-fashioned back-knot, and her sober, earnest face looked worn, though lacking none of the old-time fervor that is stamped on every feature. There is a marked difference in the manner in which the better portion of the pres3 speak of the women's meeting, from that in which they indulged but a few years back. The press welt know that they must keep up wi the spirit of the times; aud more thau is, ttie enlightened press can but look with respect on nil movements of true reform. Attempt to ridcule Woman Suffragists, or woman suffrago meetings, is rap rapidly passing out of fashion. A few papers still, whose editors, whatever their pretensions, are really low and malignant at heart, endeavor to per petrate questionable witticisms at the expense of high-minded and noble women. One of these not a hundred miles away, but a few days since intro duced Miss Anthony iu its columns as the target for ribald wit, bordering In deed on the crime for which another editor, not far away, was but recently iudicted, and on trial and conviction, lined. Attacks of that character are really undeserving of attention; and yet they would seem at the same time to demand unqualified reproof and condemnation. However, if wc would administer re buke for such, as well as commendation where deserved, we are placed between two dilemmas: On the one hand, we notice what we would prefer to pass with silent disregard; but, on the other, refusing to notice it, we are derelict to the duty, as advocate for whatever of justice or trae respect is due to woman, ot discountenancing mac wnicu wouia cater to a debased standard of morality; as imperative us engaging in work, more congenial to -clean hands, of en devorlng to reform oppressive legisla tion. lolcdo Journal. Napoleon Bcnaparte and Mme. De Stael. From their first introduction, Mme. Tlo Rtnnl npv-ni" ! 1 L-rwl Ttnnnnnl-to TT inspired her with an instinctivo dread n funtltlf. .wlitnl. ...no .nt ii.iTn.i M 1 . . Tolnrr fin nnrnnaf lv. tf Inm liVw.-.. she early divined his ambitious projects! uuu luicsutt mi; uesiiuwsm tiiui. iiu was working to erect. "That which char acterized Bonaparte's government," she says, "is profound contempt for all the intellectual riches of human nature, virtue, dignity of soul, religion, enthus iasm. He would desire to reduce man to mere force and cunning, and to desig nate everything else as mere folly and silliness. The English irritate him above all because they-have found the means of combining success with hon esty; a combination which Napoleon would have us consider to be impossi ble." Thedislike was reciprocal. "Sho pretends to speak neither of me or poli tics," said Napoleon; "yet I do not know hoV it happens, but people love me less who have been with her. She gives them fanciful notions and of the opposite kind to mine." At another time he said, "Mine. De Stael has shafts that would hit a man were he seated upon a rainbow." In the year 1S00 he e&tabllslied himself iu the Tuileries, wliero lift held n sovfrmir nAti n.Yitni. in gorgeousness would have shamed the niici'oi regime. In that same year, French society, though still mixed with base alloy, had resumed much of its old brilliance, and gathered as usual around different nuclei. Mme. Recamier was then in all the delicate flower of her youth and exquisite grace; Mine. De Visconti iu all tho blossom of her majes tic beauty; Mme. Josephine Bonaparte gave splended reunious, and thePrincess De Poix small and exclusive parties. In such salons gathered whatever of beauty wit, and birth tho guillotine had spared. But most notable and most brilliant of all these gatherings were those of Mme. De Stael, whese genius and celebrity at tracted the finest intellects of all na tions. Brilliant as are her "works, her conversation is said to have been infln ately more so. "You find that she writes well; hear her talk, and you will find that she writes badly," said a co tempoary. She lived above all by con versation and in conversation; it w."s In that her genius was most thorot "ily aroused and was thorpughtlv oris,. -1 "It was in that," says Sa"int-Beuve, "that she mstrncted, and, as it were, renewed herself unceasingly, rather than by prolonged meditation. Con versation was her inspiration and her muse." The night before Benjamin Constant, her most intimate friend made his speech in the Assembly against the growing power of the First Consul, he drew her aside. "If I make this speech," he said, "to-morrow night your drawing-room will be deserted." "I know it. But you must do what is right," she answered intrepidly. Their Erognostications were correct. A party ad been arranged for that night; by 5 o'clock she had received letters of excuse from every person invited, not one of whom came. What could moreeloquent ly describe the slavish adulation of tho Parisians to their Moloch? But Fouche waited upon her and told her plainly that Napoleon suspected her of having composed that speech. A short time afterward she was commanded to quit Pans, and not to reside within forty Ieacrues nf it Tn vol,, .11.1 Tncnni. -n., i P:a-Me' 'hom she frequently visited, and nuuiu sue passed me last lew days of her Parisian residence, intercede for her. The Consul was immovable. No greater punishment could be imposed upon her than banishment from her be loved Paris, aud within the prescribed limits she wandered from village to vil lage, her thoughts ever turned to the one sjiot with the same melancholy longing that Adam might have felt when looklnrr lmrl; on T!irfiillp- Tem ple Bar. Mrs. Lillle Devereux Blake is called by the N. Y. Herald tho" Jfurat of the woman's movements always charging and never retreating."