The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1871-09-29

even under the most Liberal, progress
sive, enlightened regime, to sue for
their divorce: Could not one of this
class be persuaded to Overbear her
shrinking modesty and nominate her
self?
In a spirit of hearty hatred for Free
Love and all its Internal delusions,
/ remain, yours,
HORACE GREELEY.
Tribune Office, August Z, l7Sl.
MR.. TILToS To MR. GREELEY.
Mr.. Horace Greeley-My Friend:
This is the "off-year'' in politics, and
the dull season in newspapers. The
Tammany frauds constitute the only
vital topic now astir, and this the Times
possesses in fee simple. By and by the
opening battle against Grants re-nOm-
ination will thunder along the line, and
your interest in this, whether as Presi-
dental candidate, or in your higher
function as editor of the Tribune, will
engross your whole mind. Just now in
the lull seems the best opportunity (if
you care to welcome it, to accept a
proposition which grew out of our cor
respOndence last week, namely that we
should compare our views Of woman
suffrage-yOurs against mine for it.
But if you are summering at your farm,
| can hardly ask you to cease toying
with your plough or AK for the sake of
returning a day too soon to the habitual
weariness of the most industrious of
pens. So while | would be glad (yes,
and honOredl if YOU would notice some
points herewith set down, shall take
it as no discOurtesy if you prefer TO dis
continue this debate.
|. You believe in the principle of
Democratic GOvernment-in other words
as Mr.. Lincoln phrased it, government
of the people by the people, and for the
people" But this principle, as L hold
ii, includes both men and women. The
American republic is composed of both
sexes. Its government exacts the ale
gience of both sexes. Its laws, to a
great extent, apply equally Though to
too great extent unequally) to both
sexes. Its Office-hOlders are, to no in
considerable degree, of both sexes. Its
taxes fall with unrelenting rigor on
both sexes. Now to make our institu-
tions logically consistent, the elective
franchise should belong equally to both
sexes. Is il not so?
ii. You believe with Thomas Jeiter-
son, that governments derive their
Just powers rom the consent OF the gov
erned." But among the governed -
whose consent is to be thus given OF
withheld, about One-half are women.
And vet the government, i'm defiance OF
its charter, which is the Declaration Oi
Independence, violates one of its fun
damental principles by remorselesSly
denying to one-half its citizens any
voice i'm making the laws under which
they are to live and die. Is this right
or wrong?
III. You cling to trial 10y jury. Now,
the court teens with eases affecting the
rights, interests, and honor of women.
For instance, take the ease of a moth
er's plea for the custody of her children
as against the claim of a divorced and
drunken husband. l hold that no jury
can adequately appreciate, and there
fore none can settle, such a case unless
its twelve members include women as
well as men. The horror which
you have expressed of women "eflective
before juries," leads me to say that
am personally acquainted with several
amiable and excellent ladies ut the
West, who are duly authorized attOr-
neys at law and practitioners in the
courts. And you yourself have not for
gotten POrtia? Now if women can
stand and plead at the bar, tell me WHY
they cannot sit and listen on the Jury
~. You defend the American maxim
of ''nO taxation without representa-
ton" But l can point YOU out an
army of women who are not accorded
representation. In England, this in
justice has lately been swept away, and
women as well as men, if they
own taxable property, exercise in that
country the elective franchise. When
Henry Vincent was last in New York,
he told me that he saw three thousand
women in Manchester go to the polls
just as they might have gone TO the
pOstofiice, or to the city library or to
church. Why would you put the right
of suffrage in republic under greater
restrictions than in a monarchy?
V. Speaking of England, L remind
you that its governmental head is 4
representative of that sex to whom you
allow no share in the government at all.
Your friend John Bright is happy to
acknowledge that woman may bt
rightfully and illustriOusly the chief ol
the State But if that same woman
were an American, you would he dis
tressed to see her exercising even the
humble sovereignty Of her simple citi'
zenship. Is not the English view, a;
Mr.. Bright holds it, more credit to al
enlightened age than the American view
as you teach it
VI. You admit that women shoul,
have a chance to earn their living
| Nothing which the opimists may say
of the duty of every man to supper
some woman either wife, mother, siste
or daughter), can blind you or me to tn,
solemn fact that, morning and evening
to and from the half-paid toll, past you
office and mine, there marches an army
of women who fight the battle of lif
/ alOne-wOmen who, by death, have los
the props of their lives-wOmen who's
sons moulder on their country's battle
fields-wOmen, young and helpless, en-
tering into their wOmanhoOd with m
daily support save their own industry
women who, If they are to live in virtu
and not in shame, must have work &
do and wages for doing il. Now, il
your speeches to wOrkingmen, / hav
heard YOU say that one of their mos
precious privileges was the ballot. Nol
haze shown great skill in tracing con
nectiOn between wOrkingmans suttrag
and wOrkingman's wages-how the me
chanic, the farmer, or the fisherman
would find that the ballot i'm his nan
was money in his pocket. No writer !
the land has insisted more sedulOusl
than you that the negro, in order To Fl
his wages and secure his pay, shOul
have his franchise. Now if the ballC
/ will achieve all this for the wages of
, man, have the kindness To inform m
, why il will effect nothing for the wag,
of "A woman?
VII. You are gen 'us enough to az
knowledge that women should nave a
+ education. They are as much entitle
, to it as men. y generation or mol
t ago, the New England high schoo
l.