Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-08-03
MRS. DUNIwAY s POSITION.

y hen We published the art.r,c referring
to tie position o. Mrs Runway in the
rre,idcutia, canvass. ", hal Ii, ilra TIA,
we were doing an upya!ant' act, until
reminded hy the Crar,u that duty 20 q
la!y implies much mole re rcct than woul!
accnric, Il gcn,lcmau under similar cir
cumS'anccs. We are sufragc.st from
principle, not hccaus" We expect j, 10 pay,
OF because it has lcrn prescribed in party
platform. We believe to lie u God given
heritage, whether rcc,.nizal by man 5
party crccds or not. 1t forms no par. Of
duty. as understood hy us, TO show any
more respect for one sex than the other in
discussing matters of a common interest,
and we fail to discover wherein We have
been ungal!an. for merely repeating what
Mrs Duniway wrote and published to the
world several months ago.
The C0uricr places much stress upon its
assumption that VIC event outside the
party" to endorse woman suffrage. Well,
what if VIC did? Is it not matter for the
party ard onrsclf to adjust or has that
journal become the censor of individual as
well as all party action ? But the truth is
not stated. No party had made woman
suffrage test, nor has any party done SO
yet. The Democratic party had, however,
led off in .faeor Of the proposition, by a
legislative act clothing women with all the
political rights of men, and no Republican
legislature has get done as much for wo-
man. IF precedent is good for anything,
we were not outside our party, but decid-
ly inside, by our endorsement of what it
had already done. The Courier, at that
so regarded it, and hauled US over the
Goals for our party hcresies.
Now the plank in the Philadelphia plat
form which caught Mrs. Duniway, Laura
Dcforcc Gordon rronounces mere splin-
ter, altogether unsatisfactory and not ex-
pectcd to bear any practical results. 1t
puzzles US, therefore, to account for the
zeal of the recent convert, our esteemed
friend of the NeW-NortAuest, in support
Of one against whom she applied all those
choice adjectives describing bcastialty and
brutality. To illustrate In trolling for
salmon, fishermen sometimes use artificial
minnows, made Of tin aud painted in imi-
tation Of the species of fish they are known
feed upon. In grasping for the shadow
they in reality seize the hook, and the
cap.or hauls in the dcludcd victim with
mingled feelings of pity and contempt !!
So VIC regard Mrs. Duniway's support of
Grant, upon the uncertain promise of the
Philadelphia platform; and probably the
same idea occurred to the editor of the
Courier, for We find suffrage sandwiched
with salmon SO frequently as to indicate
that he views the two subjects from pre-
cisely the same standpoint.
Seriously, we believe the vague general
ity Of the Republican platform will do the
cause of suffrage more harm than good.
While it contributes absolutely nothing to
forward the desired result, and is regarded
as measure of doubtful expediency by
friends Of the cause, it will be quite suffi-
cient to array those opposed to the move.
meut in solid phalanx against it. Reforms
should move slowly to be successful, and
pave the way as they progress to secure a
firm footing. The cause was making ia
vorable progress, aud the people were
manifesting less than the usual hostility to
the innovation upon established custom
1t would have been wiser to have waited.
The success of Greeley may retard, while
he election of Grant will not advance, the
cause and all through accepting the shad.
ow instead of waiting patiently till the sub
stance could be obtained.
PROspERoUs.-The Tribune compares
the assessment rolls of this county for the
past five years and makes a very credita.
BILE exhibit of increase iu the valuation Of
real and personal property. The assess
ment Of 1868 was 100000; for 1869,