The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-02-23
THE WOMAN QUESTIONING. 5.
PoRrLANp, Feb. I9, ls72.


1t will now be attempted to point
out some benefits to the general welfare
of mankind which may be very fairly /
expected to flow from those changes in |
the status of woman which are proposed /
in connection with Woman Suffrage. |
To improve the general welfare is the |
great struggle of an enlightened civili- |
zation. 1t is in accordance with that
enlightened selhshness, which perceives
in the general good the surest benefits
resulting to self 1t is also the utilitar-
ian philosophy of the age-the greatest
good to the greatest number-which, on
account of too much greed and enthusi-
asm for wealth, has been much pervert-
cd. There has, in consequence, been en-
tailed great extremes of poverty and ig-
norance in the midst of great wealth
and intelligence. These perversiOns
have been of detriment to all classes, for
the struggles of greed and the extrava
ganees of luxurious plenty have warped
and vitiated human nature as much as
poverty and Ignorance have stitied it.
The first and greatest struggle of man
kind and the first problem of science
and art is simple one. 1t is merely TO
feed and elothe mankind well and COM
fortably. This accomplished, the prog
ress of intelligence and the arts and sci
ences would be unfettered and, of eonse-
quence, rapidly spread. To supply the
necessary wants of mankind there
should not only be produced great
wealth, but it should be directed in
proper channels so as to obtain fair and
equal distributions of it, When there is
a great abundance, the poor may derive
benefits from the fat of the land, and so
may others, but the greatest obstacles
which now lie in the way of due bene-
fits of wealth to the general welfare are
that upon the one hand it is wasted by
eXtravagances or boarded by greed, and
upon the other it is made to support too
many artificial wants and unnecessary
burdens. The costs of crime, immoral
ity, idleness and foolish vanities ex-
haust much the greater proportion of
the wealth and labor of the world. The
substantial means of progress are great
ly choked by thick growths of worth
less weeds. 1t may be fairly reckoned
that two-thirds of womankind are pure
burdens upon labor and production-at
any rate a very large proportion, what
ever may be said of their labors at home.
Then the extravaganza of senseless fash
ions and displays, that are beyond all
limit Of true taste or elegance, which are
the natural results of the idleness of
women; and the ideal worship which
their fictitious position in the world
gives them, besides the great wastes en-
tailed by the hundreds of thousands of
the demi monde and other designations
Of passion, which certainly are the re-
suits of great social defects somewhere,
most probably in the condition which
womankind are held to; should these
enormous wastes of labor and wealth be
turned toward the supply of the necessa-
, ries of life or to other useful and sub
stantial wants, it would certainly add
greatly to the general welfare. What
ever will make woman more useful
without injury to her; whatever will
lessen the frivolous wants and eXtrava-
gances of society and foolish wastes of
fashion, or will lessen the dissipations
of immortality, will certainly bring
about such results. These changes are
expected to flow from Woman Suffrage,
because the reason and spirit of suffrage
is freedom and equality, so that its very
e proposition is that she shall be emanci-
pated from an inferior position to rank,
act and to be held responsible in COM
mon with other human beings, among
y whom God has given no inherent right
d or title to or over her. Nor is she unlike
: except in sex. 1t proposes to change heI
t status and to regard her in relation to
S the substantial affairs of life just like
5 other human beings. Therefore, when
r Woman Suffrage is accepted, the new
d notions upon which it is based will, OF
> course, be accepted, too. She will re-
It ceive the new convictions in common
: with the rest of mankind; hence will
:, ensue the changes which are expected
i to flow from the act of Woman Suffrage.
S The character of these changes are dis
t, covered in the reasonable results of the
It new convictions; and these changes
must and will readjust the social state,
or, in other words, change the social
!. structure, as was pointed out i'm former
d letters.
l. Now, if society and woman herself re-
# ceive the conviction that there should
: be no distinctions of rights, duties or re-
d sponsibilities between the sexes which
II nature intended, in all those affairs OF
!. life upon which the material and moral
}, welfare of humanity depends, the world
Q would exact, and she would feel, that
n she should take a like part with him
# and hence would follow her change: she
II would be no longer a child of frivolity
: and fashion, no longer thing OF mer-
If chandise, nor such a pauper rs to be
forced to the sale of her heart and SOU
for life support, and no longer an idle
burden upon wealth, and consequently
on the poor Instead of destroying hel
: purity, it will give her a better chance
u TO be pure. Instead of hardening hel
: mOdesty, her increased self-reliance will
o be a better protection to it. That true
' delicaey which springs only from puri-