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."