The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-08-09
From the Boston woman's JournaLI
The Same Old Story.

The Same Old Story.
Always the same old story. Not
new argument in the whole course of the
meeting; hardly a new illustration. 1
should think the speakers would be as
tired of telling rs the public are of hear
ing it,"
''Of course, the whole subject is worn
threadhare; why can't they see il, and
dry up?'
This brief dialogue, between a couple
OF weil-dressed men, caught my ear as |
was leaving q recent Woman Suffrage
convention. If l should tell the whole
TRUTH l should own that ii brought
hot flush Of Indignation TO my face.
Tired! | should think so, gentlemen;
tired to death of saying over and over
what Is so obvious that there ought
never TO have been any need for saying
II at all. What a comfortable way of
dlsposing ola great question. "NOthing
new 10 be said on it; it no longer enter
talns us; why don't these talking women
see 1t and dry up?r Have these men
any conception of the worth of a princi-
pie? oI what is involved in devotion to a
cause?
The discouraging thing about every
reform J., that il is by iteration, rather
than by argument, that the truth is got
INTO peoples heads, and that this, after
All, Is not enough; you must not only get
IL INTO your heads, but into your hearts;
not only convince their reason, but touch
thelF consciences. What is everybody's
business l. nObody's; and only by max
ing men and women feel that they are
/ personally implicated in a great wrong,
can we arouse them to action.
The great majority of intelligent men
frankly admit that there is no sound
argument against Woman Suffrage.
Are they, then, ready to take action in
Its behalf? Not by any means. Look
at that paltry and most transparently
thin plank in the Philadelphia Plat
form-the utmost recognition that could
be wrung from any political party of the
greatest question that has ever claimed
the attention of humanity. They are all
ready enough TO admit wOman's abstract
right TO the ballot; but, instead of lifting
a finger TO secure to her the actual right,
they discuss questions of eXpediency,
and assure her that she is too angelic to
have anything to do with politics,
calmly assuming that it is theirs to
decide how many of her rights she may
safely be trusted with.
Love Of power was the strong demon
| that stood in the way of justice to the
slave. Love of power, the sense of
ownership, is equafly-nay, hundred
fold more-the demon that stands in the
way of Justice to woman. The idea of a
being made expressly for him; to adj
minister to him, to revOlve about him,
to think his thoughts after him, is mex
pressibly dear to the masculine mind.
The literature of all ages are full of it.
II varies with the age, and country, and
individual character, but it is always es-
sentially the same. Now it speaks
bluntly, and says
Il viii be master of what is mine own
Touch her whoever dare"
And now it sentimentalizes over
"clinging vines and administering
angels" The chivalry of the very best
men is more apt To find expression in
bearing the burden Of some wOman's
helplessness, than i'm trying to secure to
all women conditions favorable to self
help. \ hundred men will admit the
right of women to vote, where one will
place an unmarried daughter upon a
footing of pecuniary independence,
either by establishing her in business or
paying her for her services, If she is
needed at home. That women are chill
dren Of a larger growth is a sentiment
held either consciously or uncOnsciOusly
by the majority of men. As wives, they
are oftener kept in ignorance of their
husbands business than consulted about
It; little confidence is placed in their
judgment. As daughters, they are to be
taken care of by the father until they
can be handed over to the care of a
husband. As associates, men instinct
lively talk down to them, instead of
making them companions in the true
sense of the word.
Any one who will take the trouble TO
observe may soon satisfy himself that
the equality of the sexes is yet hardly
more than a term-a seed-teTm we will
hope, destined by-and-by to bear fruit.
In the meantime, L suppose, we shall
have To go on repeating "the same old
story" using the old arguments, iterat-
ing and rciterating the old truth.
CELIA BURLEIGH.