Fkee Speech, Free Pkess, Pkee People.
VOLUME X. NO. 18. PORTLAND, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1SS0. PER YEAR $3 00.
A NOTEWORTHY EVENT.
ELIZABETH CADY STANTON'S ATTBMIT TO VOTE
A. "CLKAN KBl'tjumCAN TICKET" ON TIIR
SKCOND WAY OK NOVEMBER.
HKK BALLOT RBPUSKI) ,AT THE SPOT WICBHB SHE ANSD
ALLY PAYS TAXtKS TO HELP SCPPOItT THE
'GOVKRNMKNT OK THE PEOPLE."
Mrs. Stanton !n the National Citizen.
Sitting in my library in the early morning of
our great National election day, that had dawned
so bright and beautiful, my thoughts naturally
turned on our grand experiment of government,
the deep significance of a National election, and
the blessed freedom of thought and speech our
people here enjoy. My heart swelling with grati
tude and hope that our right to be a Nation
might to-day be fully vindicated at the ballot-box,
I seized my pen to give the outpourings of my pa
triotic soul to a woman's journal when lo ! "the
Republican carriage and horses," all decked with
flags and evergreens, drove gaily to my door.
One of our leading citizens announced himself in
search of voters. As my six legal representatives
were scattered far and near, in the old world and
the new, I offered to do the voting for them and
represent myself a most fitting thing for me to
do, boing the owner of the homestead, and having
paid my own taxes in person, and having resided
in the Democratic State of New Jerse for twelve
years ; being also of sound mind, of the legal age
three times seven, and having suilicient education
to road the Constitution and the ticket I offered.
My stanch Republican friend accepted the propo
sition. Accordingly, Susan B. Anthony (always
ready to make an escapade on the ballot-box) and
I donned our Sunday attire, stepped into the car
riage, and were borne in triumph to the polling
booth, amid the crowd of American sovereigns,
their crown and scepter, the ballot, in their own
right hands. This greatest of all duties of an
American citizen we found was to be performed in
a wayside inn, where the aristocracy of Bergen
county are wont to seek the elixir that keeps them
warm in Winter and cool in Summer, though
suppressed on election day until the clock strikes
seven, when the polls close and the sun is su
posed to set on this 2d day of November.
Ushered into the august presence of the In
spectors of Election, and of the imposing ballot
box with the Holy Bible pressed to its inanimate
lips, my champion announced, "Mrs. Stanton has
come to vote a clean Republican ticket," As this
occurred precisely in the same spot where I usu
ally paid my taxes, I felt quite at home, and much
lighter hearted at the prospect of enjoying the
highest privilege of citizenship than on any
former occasion, when compelled to pay its penal
ties, and when my heart did not respond to the
tender Scriptural sentiment, "It is more blessed
to give than to receive." The author of that pre
cept could never have paid taxes in a country
declaring that "taxation without representation is
tyranny."
At the first proposition for a woman to vote, one
of the Inspectors, whom I knew well, dropped into
his chair, looking as meek as Moses; another
stood back with bowed head, as if searching for
grains of mustard seed in the cracks of the floor;
while the chosen champion for the combat took
his xwsition with dogged determination that "none
but male citizens could vote; that there was no
precedent for females' voting." I told him that,
in the opinion of many learned judges, lawyers
and statesmen, women were enfranchised by the
Fourteenth Amendment to the National Constitu
tion, which declares "all persons born or natural
ized in the United States" to be "citizens," and
the Fifteenth, which declares "the citizen's" right
to vote.
"I am here as a United States citizen," said I,
"to vote for United States officers. It is not the
duty of a town Inspector to decide on my liber
ties. As to a precedent, there are many prece
dents for women's voting. Women are voting on
school questions in eight States of the Union to
day, and on the sacred soil of New Jersey, where
we now stand, women voted for thirty-one years,
from 1776 to 1807."
But this stolid Democrat (for the two Republi
can Judges had cunningly thrust him forward)
. was impervious to argument or appeal, and, In his
stress for something to say, innocently admitted
what his assailants and the bystanders had al
ready perceived that he knew nothing about the
matter, never having read our constitutions, State
or National. Shades of Jefferson and Jackson for
give ! that of such material we now make town
inspectors of elections !
At this point, Mr. Cooper, a Democratic State
Senator, seoing his brother Democrat pushed to
the wall, importinently called from the corner,
"Pray proceed with the voting; we have wasted
time enough over this trifling matter."
"Gentlemen," said I, "this Is the most mo
mentous question the citizens of our town have
ever been called upon to consider."
The dcting Inspector then asked his Republican
coadjutors if they agreed with him to refuse my
vote, and each solemnly bowed his assent.
I then tendered my ballot, but as no outstretched
hand was ready to receive it, I laid it on the box,
the Inspector meantime keeping one hand heavily
on the Bible, evidently fearing that, with the
heroic Miss Anthony at my elbow, who ever and
anon in a low tone had made suggestions, we two
might by some dextrous maneuver slip the pro
scribed ballot into the sacred enclosure. In retir
ing, I said :
"I leave my ballot here. With you rests the
responsibility of refusing to count it."
We returned in the "Republican carriage" to
our home, leaving the voters of Palisade Township
to discuss the merits of the question. Several
called on us during the day for papers, pamphlets
and constitutional arguments, and we have
thrown down the glove for a series of public dis
cussions. What a spectacle this gorgeous Autumnal sun
shines down upon, this 2d of November a free
people with millions of voters enthusiastically as
sembling 'round their tens of thousands of polling
booths to express their will in regard to the prin
ciples of government. And what a grand educa
tion to our people are these political campaigns in
which the ablest minds of the Nation teach the
men in every school district their duties as citi
zens and the value of free institutions. It is an
inestimable loss to the Nation that the large class
of intelligent, educated women, over loyal to the
best interests of society, should stand silent wit
nesses of this sublime spectacle denied the right
to express their will. But the good time is com
ing when we, too, will share in the great National
uprising, and march in the grand procession of
freedom.
Meantime, let us as American citizens rise
above the personal injustice we suffer, above the
dust and smoke, the frauds and corruptions of jml-
itics, and remember tho great experiment of gov
ernment we are now making, based o;i human
equal ity.
"WHAT A LADY EDITOR ENCOUNTERS.
From the Denver Antelope. j
One woman says that this "dreadful female, the
editor of the Antelojic" goes into all the saloons,
and that for her part she would not speak to such
a person. We have lived in the world longenough
to know that it is just as "necessary to have ene
mies as friends, and we believe that some persons
can be of more use to one in life as enemies than
as friends. We are also linn in the belief that the
lady in question is one of this variety, and won
der if she ever speaks to men who go into the sa
loons. If so, sho has sufficient caliber to sit in
judgment on the difference in the motives of the
two pilgrims. We suppose that this lady prude
does not object to reading the masculine papers,
even though they advertise for saloons and variety
theaters, and she certainly will not refuse her
support to any editor of the male persuasion. We
do not advertise these places, but take as much
pains to place our literature in the hands of these
men as any others, because it is for the best in
terests of tho race that they be educated. This
woman must be the one who objected to our paper
because the printing i done on Holladay street.
Terrible ! Our moti'es are of an exalted charac
ter and our business is unquestionable, let us go
where wo may. Can this bigoted woman say as
much of her gentlemen friends? Besides, we do
not think that men who keep those places are one
whit lower than the persons who sustain thorn.
We also recognize this fact, that every saloon
keeper is a voter, the superior of woman as a citi
zen in power and intlucuce; and if an ourang
outang should become a naturalized citizen, we
would endeavor to educate him to thenewdispen
sation as'taught in the columns of this paper. In
.the meantime, we do not think the loss of friend
ship a heavy one, judging by the standard of the
objecting caliber. Our life is not to be devoted to
cultivating sweet-scented shallowness, but to ear
nest, practical work for the benefit of those who
lira unable to hold their own without this help,
At Buona Vista we saw Jessie. Readers will of
course want to know who Jessie can be. Well,
that is just what we were going to toll you. Jessio
is a young mother who was so unfortunate as to
MARRIED WOMEN'S RIGHTS.
Though failiu? at so many points to maintain W
our declared nrincinles. vet we are steadilv mov- Branny a worthless man, out wno nas been form
ing, step by step, toward the consummation of uc In ridding herself of an Impostor, and the
what philosophers have predicted, poets sung and
artists painted tub golden agk when among
the sons and daughters of earth there shall bo no
class or caste.
Tnc North American Iterirw, which rellccts the
ideas of many of the deepest thinkers of America,
furnishes several valuable papers in its December
number. Its contents are as follows: "The Fu
ture of the Republican Party," by George S.'
Boutwell ; "Discoveries at Olympia," by Professor
Ernst Curtius; "Rational Sunday Observance,"
by Rev. James Freeman Clarke; "Southern States
men and their Policy," by John Jay; Part IV. oj
"The Ruins of Central America," by Desire' Char
nay; "The Distribution of Time," by Leonard
Waldo, S. D.; "The Public-School Failure," by
Richard Grant White; "Tho Validity of ths
Emancipation Edict," by Aaron A. Ferris. The
licviciv's rates are $5 00 per annum and 50 cents
per single number. Orders should be addressed
to New York.
Dr. Lucy S. Pigdin, of Boston, who graduated
last March from the United States Medica.l Col
lege, of Now York, being number two in a class
of sixteen, has been elected Secretary of the West
Side Medical Association, of New York City.
This is probably the first instance of a woman's be
ing elected to such a position in an association
composed almost entirely of men.
The College Journal is the title of a new
monthly which has made its appearance at
Salem, under the auspices of the professors and
students of Willamette University. It is neatly
printed and is filled with matter of interest to all
connected with educational institutions. The
subscription price is SI per annum.
A Washington dispatch of the 4th instant says
that Mrs. Belva A. Lockwood, the only lady law
yer ever admitted to practice in the United States
Supreme Court, "commanded the attention of the
members of that tribunal the day before in a
twenty-minute speech."
From Woman's Words, of Philadelphia : "Miss
Cassie Stump, a young Oregon lady, now taking
a special literary and musical course at Welleslcy
College, is writing a series of charming letters for
the Pacific Christian Messenger, published at
Monmouth, Oregon."
A pleasing holiday present for little-children
would bo a copy of The Nursery, a "magazine for
youngest readers," published monthly at No. 30
Bromfield street, Boston, at $1 50 a year
point is this: that she has the good sense to know
that she is well oil in beim; rid of him and in
having the capacity and health to work for herself
and a lovely girl baby. Wo never knew a woman
who seemed happier in the mission of maternity,
notwithstanding her hard lot. We think a baby
can very well forego a worthless father when it
has such a mother. We hope, notwithstanding
the patenial side of doubtfulness, that Jessie's
little daughter may Hvo to a beautiful and useful
womanhood; that sho may fill with an honest,
maternal pride the heart and life of the noble and
courageous young mother.
We encountered another and an entirely differ
ent specimen of humanity in the shape of a post
master at Buena Vista. This fellow gives it as
his opinion that no woman who has any respect
for herself would engage in any such business as
we follow. We would not care a cent about the
opinion of such persons as this, man and Judge
Decker, if they would express them to their coad
jutors and not to us personally; but we are as
fiery as a rocket, and this audacity is liable to be
rewarded with a "hit" of one kind or another.
We responded promptly, telling him that we were
most happy in not having spent our time as his
poor unfortunate mother had in raising a man
that Solomon would have called a fool and a
drunkard. This postmaster had been drinking,
we are informed, and is such a debauch that one
of his bondsmen has withdrawn his support. The
Republican party of this State will surely get
weak in the knees if it manifests no more judg
ment in making appointments and in selecting
leaders. Both of these fellows look like gentlemen
upon the outside.
The substance and salient points of the Act to
"establish and protect the rights of married wom
en," was published in the New Nortiiavest of
October 23th (as soon as it was possible to give it
after it was approved). Our subscription list has
largely increased during the past month, and as a
number of our new patrons desire to read the law,
we again print it. It was signed by Governor
Thayer shortly after its passage by the Legislature,
and is now in force. It is as follows :
lie it enaeteil by the IsyMulive AuemlAy of the State of
Oregon :
Section 1. AH laws which impose or recognize civil
disabilities ujmjh a wife which are not imposed or recog
nized as existing as to the husband, are hereby repealed:
J'rovitleil, thut t 111- Act shall not confer the right to vote or
hold otllco upon the wife, except as Is otherwise provided
by law; and for any unjust usurpation of her property or
her natural rights, she shall have the same right to appeal
In her own numenloncio tho court h of law or equity for
redress that the huslmnd has.
Sec. 2. Henceforth the rights and responsibilities or' the
parents in the absence of misconduct shall be equal, and
the mother shall be as fully entitled to the custody and
control of the children and their earnings, as the father;
and In case of the father's death, the mother shall come
into as full control of the children and their estate as the
father does in case of the mother's death. All laws and
portions of laws Inconsistent With the foregoing are hereby
repealed.
Skc. S. This Act shall take effect and be In force from
and after lt approval by the Governor.
Approved October 3), ISO.
From last week's Union Sentinel: "Mrs. Duni
way lectured in the Methodist church on Monday
and Tuesday evenings, taking for her subjects,
'Why Not,' and 'Observations at tho Centen
nial.' Mrs. Duniway represents the woman's
cause in logical eloquence, and we believe that
time will crown her efforts with victory."
"Individual Rights," a pamphlet of about 60
pages, by Martin Ryerson, should be read by
every individual who has not given long, patient
and careful study to tho subject of which it treats.
Published hy the Authors' Company, No. 27 Bond
street, New York. Price, 25 cents.
Tho Phrenological Journal for December Is at
hand, its pages filled with interesting reading and
useful information. Among its articles are
sketches of Nahum Capen, L. L. D., and Wm. A.
Hallock, D. D.f and a study of the woman question.
ABROGATE THE TREATY.
It is stated that Claus Spreckles is erecting a
sugar refinery of colossal proportions in San Fran
cisco. The main building is to be 307 feet in
length, of irregular dimensions as to breadth, and
ten stories high. It will cost nearly or quite
million dollars. This announcement leads the
Orcgonian to make these sensible remarks:
"Through the Hawaiian treaty, Sprecklos is mak
ing a million a year out of the treasury of the
United States and the sugar consumers of the
Pacific coast. At the earliest posssible dav notice
should be given by our Government of its wish to
terminate this treaty. Such notice may be given
within seven years from the time the ratifications
were exchanged that is to say, about two years
hence. The treaty takes an enormous annual
sum out of the treasury of the United States and
gives it to Mr. Claus Spreckles. Moreover, it has
increased the prico of sugar to consumers. And
it has annihilated the direct trade of Oregon with
the Islands. It is the most unequal and scandal
ous treaty to which the needy and unscrupulous
jobbers who abounded in the Senate some years
ago ever made the United States a party."
Mrs. Ida L. Bunnell, of Sumner, Coos county,
writes as follows to Mrs. A. S. Duniway: "I have
been without your valuable paper for three years,
and write to order it again. My treatment among
the ruling half of the world for tho past three
months is similar to the circumstance you related
in your lecture at this place four years ago of your
early experience regarding a mortgage. Hence
forth I shall advocate openly and proudly (to the
best of my ability) equal rights or woman's rights,
just as men choose to call it." The New North
west welcomes the lady as a subscriber and as a
worker in the Woman Suffrage ranks. We want
all the help that can be obtained in the next four
years, and hope other women will declare them
selves as boldly as has Mrs. Bunnell.
From the Oregon City Enterprise of last week :
"How is it that only about one per cent of our
population attended church on Thanksgiving
Day, after tho dissatisfaction that was loudly ex
pressed at the form of Governor Thayer's Thanks
giving proclamation? When the murmurs were
heard, one was led to imagine that this was an
exceedingly religious community. Can it be
that our people have nothing to bo thankful for
during tho past year, or is it possible their hearts
were full to overflowing of gratitude for our pros
perity, but they did not know whom to thank be
cause it was not indicated in the proclamation to
whom the praise should be given."
Henry Bergh, the dumb brutes' friend, is an ad
vocate of the whipping post for a largo class of
malefactors, Including wife-beaters, garroters and;
thieves. By mingling with tlterminal arift
brutal classes, he has learned that lines and im
prisonment are ho punishment for a lai
of offenders, who are destitute of mom
tol sensibilities, and;fcamSoreached
only through such sufferings as they
victims physical pain.
Tho receipt Is acknowledged of iPist
nhlno Jackson Mil'itleoTVhHttBnrwdE
inning ui4 "I " " J JgjJi
tlmr. H. ia n "7 nf.tlio t)B8lar SatcHelSasiS
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