FEB RfKKCH, Fbkb Peeks, Free Peom.e.
"VOLUME XI. NO.- 8.
PORTLAND, OREGON, THURSDAY,; r NOVEMRER 3, v 1881.
FER YEAR $3 00.
THE LEGISLATURE OF WASHINGTON.
-,...
THE SENIOR XDITOB AT OLYMPIA THEfTERRl-
TOKIAL, SOLONS STRUOQL1MJ WITH ":
: THE JVOMAIJ iiUESTIOSj . . . "
' ; , " Olympia, October 31, 1881,
To the'Readers or the New Koktuwesti '
' "Ten f years ago, while yet the public work of
your correspondent was In Jts Infancy, It was her
good fortune to. visit the seat of -Washington Ter.
-Titory's law-making power irr company with Miss
"Anthony, whose fame had preceded her, and who
'. 'paved the way for much that has si ncebeen ac
complished, in effecting equal rights for women.
Ten years ago there was no railroad leading to
Olympia, and we cannot forget the horrible stag
ing between the Cowlitz Landing and this classic
town. Now, the stage, are removed to the farther
-?-frontiertbe-niud is covered, by railway- tiesr the
gulches are spamiedby trestle-work, and the
,-rivers 'are; crossed by railroad"' bridges. Three
whours are now occupied incbmpassing the distance
that once required twenty-four. Nothing is nat-
.. ural but the rain, and that is as familiar to our
. senses as of yore, save that we are not exposed to
its ravages nowj as we sit comfortably in the rail
, way coach and gaze In sympathy upon, .the, trem
bling klne tha arch tlfefKbacks behind the sodden
trees, and shiver as it pelts their hairy hides.
' It Is Saturday , afternoon and the Legislature
we have come to visit Iiag-adJournetLior a half
holiday. Everything, In fact, has adjourned ex
cept the rai n. - We alight upon a sodden plank
way, built on piles In the Ray, and enter a drjr
ping back take a seat under a dripping umbrella,
and are drawn by a pair of dripping horses
through the soggy streets to the Carlton House,,
where a genial landlady makes us .welcome, and a
-number of Honorable Members some of whom
are old acquaintances greet us cordially. .. Rev.
P. S. Knight Is also here, visiting the capital in
-the interest of the deaf and dumb asylum, with a
prospect of success in his chosen work of philan
thropy and justice.. Among the members of the
Legislature with whom we have the - honor to
cjalm old 'acquaintance are; Messrs; Sharpsteln,
EvanTand StrattjOn of the Counciland Messrs.
Preston, Rurke, Smlh, and Smith, and Coniegys
of the Housed Mr. Stratton hl( the President of
the Council, and Mr. Coniegys the 8eaker of the
, House. -V. . ' ;, '-. -, . 2
We spent gundayliLalternatB. conyerkatlon-
wlth thegentlemen named, listening to the rain,
and visiting with Mrs. Sylvester, and on Monday
domiciled 'ourself by special invitation in this
lady's hospitable home until, 2 P. M, when we
took advantage of shining skies and' repairedto
the. Halls of Legislation, where we were courte
ously welcomed by the Honorables, none of whom
seemed otherwise than pleased to meet an apostle
of equality before the law.
The woman question had already been up for
consideration In the Council, and. had been voted
down In the shape In which It had first been pre
sented, the whole process1 to introduce and reach a
final vote occupying the space of'ooe minute and
a half I Rut the meiubera didn't deride the wom
en, even though jjiey snubbed them, which is an
encouraging omen--. .
After the suffrage bill was scotched, the Council
went to work to patch oyer the crazy piece of leg
islation known as Rill No. 19," in which Mrs.
Packard had attempted to substitute a "combina
tion of disjointed things,' which, she styled an
"emancipation bill," upon the women of the Ter
ritory, In, lieu of the recognition of their inalien
able right to equality before the law a recogni
tion which they demanded, and without which
they are not to be quieted ; hence the present agi
tation, that will continue to come up until the'
necessary polritis gained, Insane women to the
contrary notwithstanding...
Evidently the present Legislature desires to be
Just to Women ; but it makes the mistake that all
one-sexed bodies of law-makers must necessarily
make when endeavoring to violate a. law of nature
- . by representing a class of ; which it Is not a part,
and this mistake consists in failing to comprehend
"Y the wants or said class from its own inherent
- ' standpoint. - , '
. The Council' has patched the "emancipation
bill" above alluded to, but the new. cloth will not
fit the old garment because the garment Itself Is a
misfit and cannot be made acceptable to those, for
whose ose it Is detained. , The material, even, has
not been of their choosing, and some of the
patches, which would .fit well in a new garment,
reuflleiently etreng to rend the entire, fabric In
' their present environment.; Section first provides
that marriage shall Impose po pecuniary or legal
disability upon the contracting' parties that does
not apply to the-wrmrried a judicious act,
1 !.. . . I 111. Hi fi
,,l-avfrw refuses'
. womau the right to vote or hold oftioe; thus cut
..: ting off most of the ways' of "acquiringenjoying
knddl8poslng"of any property whatever. A
' - ' ' -. . " r ' ' . "
married womanTs inalienable right: to recover
money for personal'. Injuries Is'recognlzed In sec
tion eight, and the wages of her personal labor
outside the home (if she be able to earn any) may
belong to her by, the . provision of Section ten.
Separate contracts and divided interests., are
allowed and festered by sections eleven, tfceTvej
thirteen and fourteen: Rut seeds of divorce are
sown broadcast by section fifteen, which gives the
husband the "entire management and control" of
community; projtertypiliwHlVa JikiTpowerlof 4Iv
position (other than testamentary) as he, has of
hit separate personal property.'rAyhlch, being
Interpreted in plain English, mean that the hus
band may say ,,4Now bave..it, and now you '
don't'? It much reminds us of the old game of
tosHing the coin upon the1 principle, "Heads I
win, tails you: lose !" What a pity men cannot
refrain from tempting women by legislation to
pour melted lead into the ears of their niggardly
and. piggish husbands t
Under the hiirry and confusion amltTwnfc1iwe
are compelled to scribble this letter within the
half hour since the blll has been before us, we are
unable to devote deserving attention' to the many
gleams of justice that flash and sparkle through It,
further than to say that the eyes of. men are set
toward the light of justice which now glimmers
feebly upon their vision from the mountain top of
freedom, where sits thejGoddess of Liberty-in mel
ancholy thrall, about her haiids the chain, of
man's supremacy, and aroundTher feeTJhe mana
cles of a law-making power which she Is taxed to
maintain and to whose statutes she is held amen
able, even while denied - the rightof "representa
tion In the Legislature; aright inestimable to her
and formidable to tyrants only." .'
The genial .face of our good friend Hon. T. H.
Brents beamed upon the Council just as the last
Hne of the above was written. A ten minutes'
recess was had amid general rejoicing, after which
your correspondent repaired tp the House, where
the solons were busily engaged on a Sunday law,
which was passed by a large Liberal Vote, thereby
proving that Literals are willing to compel Chris
tians to be good. ' ' " . . r
' Whether Woman Suffrage will get a hearing at
this session from the women's standpoint, we are
not advised ; but inasmuch as opposing members
say they are willing for women to vote if tWey de
sire to do so, we cannot see how they can refuse to
allow them a brief hour of represeatal6nfrom
their own standpoint in which to proclaim that
.they do want to vote. r
tJL 8. D.
WOMAN AS A. PHYSICIAN. "
ESSAY READ BY MRS. DR. B. A. OWENS BEFORE
THE OREOON STATE WOMAN 81,'K-
. FRAGE AS8OCIATI0N1. . '.
Mr. Pretldenf, and Gentlemen and Lad ie$: I
thoughts' that suggest themselves to my jnlud as
an answer to the courteous invitation to address
this Convention on this occasion. Perhaps It
were better for some one else to-speak upon the
subject I have cbosen.thanroyseif. . However, as
I have assumed the task, I will devote a few min
utes to the consideration of the- subject of
"Wojnan as a hyBlclan,
We believe there are no general terms which
apply to the world's progress that will not lnclude
woman as .well as man in' their meaning.' . We
find many conventionalities, that are no longer
of any benefit, if they ever possessed a virtue.
Circumstances have made the relation of tnanand
woman what itjs, and, relatively speaking, wom
an is regarded as the weaker person, and,' as con
trasted in darker periods, the slave. It is a char-
rtj.4ttirnf "thara merlcan gehtlemajn'to resjecrt"dr8coverIe8, in
woman and accord to her a high position in life.
This feeling alone has had much to do .In placipg
our country foremost among the civilized nations
of the worldr-No nation can .be great unless
woman is placed upon the piaue her merits qual
ify her to'occupy. Were we to ask .concerning a
new nation of people, the first important question
would be, "What of the women ? . Have they a
ran k.thjaJLcliaIlejlgeApu tjcespectnd admiration?'.
If answered in the affirmative, we take In at a
glance the condition '""of the people, and. consider,
them as possessing a high civilization. Conven
tionalities In these matters have been like hoop
of Iron around the body politic; and why? Be
cause woman, from generation to generation,
supposed that' all thesethlngs' must be. "Rut In
the light of the nineteenth century we are enabled
to see that these supposed Iron bands are but ropes
of sand. . When we consider that the develop
ment, of ideas is the spirit of our civilization, we
realize that great thought and action have seized
lire rX-'ttt'thTOW fjifTfiuinau liilud and givi'u to it
wvuuciiui nwci.
Do we stop" to consider that woman is granted
no part or lot in human progress ?
Go back only a century, and the world stands
In wonder.' The greatdeep of suierstition has favor.' Experience Is all the answer shejdesirea
given up its dead. Science Iras been more thor
oughly recognized. More surprising disroy erlesJ
have been developed than ever before. Man has
done more to benefit the race jnits Varied relations
than at any former perlodcHe-has giveu im
portance to thej sphere in Which he moved.. He
has enlarged It and enriched it with inveutlon
and-discovery';' The earth wears gracefully her
new dress woven by the In ventor and the artisan.
TimOnOpao rapidity ot
thought, which now bounds the earth in a current
as delieate as a , tremor, but as potent as power.
Commerce : brings to our door her overflowing
baskets of earth's treasure from every part thereof,
and makes us feel that the human family is one
domestic circle. Professions have grown more in
fluential in the tithe mentioned, and were we to
view the world's progress in detail, we would al
most think there are no more worlds for science
to conquer. v In all this we see the persistent push
of man. He stoops not to help or assist on either
side, but whatever his specialty may be, he aims
to perfect it and make It the charm of his life.
We may say man works alone, and still the battle
Is not won. " -
Beneath the surface of all this we recognize the
great fact that man has always hmi the -heIpWPeforo the barof the world, and every case brought
" - ... u I I A. A. AlA'A ll. A . . S M S A ft
hand of woman In his efibrts to master the hidden
mysteries" t hat makeug this wojitderful life. In
ali of his Inventions and discoveries woman has
been an lmjortant auxiliary., Rut his glory has
been Ills own. Woman has never faltered when
opportunity offered to promote science. She re
sect and admires man for his wisdom. It is not
alone tiiat she through her agencies d 1 sco vered
the new world and brought Imperishable renown
upon her' discernment and conquering wljl and
that, too, in a country where, and In an age when,
woman could not claim that her valuable gifts
were entitled to respect Or consideration. f. .-il-
In more modern times we find that worn in has
been an active agent In the promotion of human
progress. In the educational departments of the
old and the new world we find her presence
marked and distinguished. In charities her hand
Is the most tender and comforting. . In the domestic-life
she Is a queen ; her throne is her private
station. In art and science we find her of great
aptitude and genius. In literature she is hot ex
celled. And yet, In all the achievements -of man,
no credit la awarded to woman. It is ordalneti
that she must work alone, and rise by her own
intrinsic merit. In no profession has she been
the child of fortune or favoritism. Is it ordered
by Providence that those of whom the world ex
pects the least shall rise by their own Individual
and independent effort to greater distinction and
honor among men ? This would seem to be the
lot of woman. She has added her name to the
patrons of law and medlclue, but hot by the aid of
royal charter. The world, in its present gigantic
feel much embarrassment 'in offering the few I strides of development, is but about one hundred
years, old It Is true that medicine and su rgery
were -practiced long, before the present century;
but It Is not our purpose to give the history of the
efforts to preserve, a system of medicine. We
shall only speak of it as anTiicldent in the progress
of the human mind.1-- ;-' ; -' -.
.x WhateTejr the standard of medicine might have
been among the ancients, at the downfall of the
Roman Empire it was as a science entirely lost.
Gradually, from century to century, during the
Christian era following, the Middle Ages, the
practice of medicine revived. We may Infer,
from the nature of woman, andlhe care and devo
tion she bestows upon every heart-work of her
life, that the world 'during these dark periods
would have been better. ; off had she begun
with man ' his scientific research. 1 All the
medicine and
to make. There is nothing in her nature that
should exempt her. from work which she can do
as:, well as man, Hippocrates . himself said,
Vomin and suffering are synonymous." And
I would ask, Who on all the earth ran so fitly
minister unto woman as woman ? . "Man's alpha
bet of suffering can never be woman's, and there-:
fore her vocabulary can, never be mastered- by
hlra." Woman is the first vehlckf huinan llfe,
and ih'en"iiideYoT ox ;
alleviates the physical evils which afflict the race,
or patiently watches their wasting course and
tenderly cares for all that remain when they have
wrought their results. This Is her dlviuely ap
pointed and universally conceded mission. Ry
jointyinheritance of all of human suffering, she
has an equal share in all that can assuage Ij, and
if knowledge is power, she too must share its
amplest plenitude. To make a good physician,
thff beginning must be at the heart. It is that dl- -viue
capacity to "share another's woe." .Vith
this cajacltyt woman always is everywhere more"
largely endowed than mAh. .' Even in. the depths
of African barbarity, Mongo Park found this di
vine endowment shining ip woman's heart like a
diamond in the dark. This profession is on trial .
before it. tests its strength. And we find that
woman who has qualified, herself for the practice
of medicine has no reason to abate her energy to
Tanqmr7Trrihe
Is a woman. On the contrary, from all profe
sional experience by her, we find her fully Ios
sessed of all tlie requirements for success ; and it is
her success which has attended her in practlce rr
in the few years of her professional career that -furnishes
us with full and complete evidence of.
her superior fitness for this calling." f
In order that we may test the strength and abil
ity of woman, she must have equal acquirements
or opportunities for learning. In the races) far
she has lost nothing by comparison with the op
posite sex in this profession. The fitness of woman
fofthe4" office of physician and surgeon must be
measured by the skill and knowledge she displays
in that profession. No other rule would be Just to
either man or woman in medicine. With woman .
the Incentives to the noblest virtues are found in i
her great desire to benefit her kind. From her
standpoint, she is. obliged to moVffon In her pro
fesslon without any regard to the good or il Lopla-
surgery 'that were
made prior to the eighteenth century seem insig
nificant as compared with those of the nineteenth.
In the glory of. this century we find woman with
respectful fear, but confident in her ability, dis
playing talents of the highest order and present
ing a mind capable of mastering the most difficult
problems In science. Nothing daunted and still
pursuing, woma?i,ha now fully presented her
claims to the Mclciiti fie wyrld for recognition. It
is not a quarter of a century since she has taken
her place a'Mong the learned physicians and sur
geons, and her progress in these sciences is of the
highest order. The effort to produce skillful phy
sicians and surgeons has been one of mtfny fail
ures and disappointments. Atone time the effort
wliolly failed, and for centuries after the progress
made in medical knowledge was Slow andniil-4
able. The many obstacles to the development of
these sciences have since been removed, and they
stand out now In all the vigor of a healthful and
continuous growth. Man, with all hi labor, Jim
not wmytHcTgdTTeworTJ that meiTIIne'h a iriie or
VffWacscTefircerThT for
woman to achieve. :
-The question often asked "Is woman suited to
the life of a physician f has been solved In her
ion of others; for she never finds rest until every -
battery loses its power to assail. Cradled in so
many adversities, she feels that all the fame she
wants is summed up th the words of Pliny and
"consists In doing what, deserves to be written,-
in writing what deserves to be read, and in so liv
ing as to make the world happier and better for
our own living in IL" We believe-that kh fi
furnished with Ability sufficient to recommend,
her actions to the admiration of mankind. And
while she aims to become perfect in her chosen
aocotnpllshmeut, she. never iecoines defective in
another. There are no habits or allurements to
come in and compromise her standing or effect
her great purpose to succeed.
In asserting that woman is always realty for
duty, and always yielding to Its exactions, we be
lieve we present her true character.- And to-day
the world beholds her as she stands upon the
great field of science, while the flag of victory
floats above her. Among the, foremost ranks of
this goodly array we find our pioneer, lady physi
cians, whose live have, taen purified And beautl
flelr broadened and ennobled Ly the great battle
which was required to be fought and won In order
that women as physicians might be considered
respectable. : To-day we honor and bless these 7
uoble mothers, while the world looks on with a
nfllellFalpproves. Tnese brave women, wlio.
have hewn down opposition and : made 'more
smooth the rugged road to science, have for the
last quarter of a century been persistently knock
ing at every college and university door In jthis
land. .. Repeated Refusals have acteq as a stimulus . ,
rather tfian a selative. And these determined
women set themselves about to build hospitals.,
and jnedlcal colleges of their own. And to-day. f
these Institutions rank equal in standing with any
in our republic, which to-day as a nation Is the
queen of the world. . . Wr , f . ,
Had I the. time and spa,ce, I could fill pages
with acco6ntsHf graild successes In the practice of
medicine, and brilliant surgery as well-as scien
tific productions of our women physicians and
surgeons. Woman to-day works side by side with
not far distant when he wilt welcome her with
pride and honor, and with his own strong right
hand will open wide the doors ot science, and with
chlvalrlo pride, found only In the highest tj-pe of .
tnanlMKMl. wi I . welcome ls sister o-worl
And may we not say, as a concluding word, that
woman, dictated as she Is by conscious duty.- pos-
sesncs reslstess ower, ail may achieve the high -est
honor in the proTesslons of medicine andaur
gery ? Jt , '. . r - .
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