The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-04-05
CORRESPONDENCE.

his department OF the NEW NORTH-
WEST is to be a general vehicle for ex-
change of ideas concerning any and all
matters that may be legitimately dis
cussed in our columns. Finding it practi-
cally impossible to answer each cores
pondent by private letter, we adopt this
mode of communication to save our
friends the disappointment that would
otherwise accrue from our inability to an
swer their queries. We cordially invite
everybody that has question to ask,
suggestion to make, or scolding to give
to contribute TO the Correspondents
Column.
Editor Ne,O Northwest: A few weeks
since read, with great regret, some re-
marks by you touching Mrs. Victoria c.
Woodruff. felt at the time, that the
period must come when you would per-
ceiye that your judgment was too hastily
formed, from data which would lose its
weight; or, that in some form you would
obtain greater light and be able to
accept her as she truly is, a noble helper
or leader in the great cause of human
rights. Has that time of enlightenment
arrived? Yours truly,
MENTOR.
We cannot agree with you that we
have hastily or otherwise formed unjust
opinions of this wonderful woman. We
have only judged her by her own words.
While we believe her life to be as pure
as mans or woman's can be, we regret
her reckless defiance of public and pri-
vate opinion, which leads bad men to
the wished-for opportunity to accuse her,
from their own standpoint, Of obscenity
and wickedness. We have the testi-
mony of at least dozen of the best
men and women of the nation, as to her
present social purity; and so long as We
live as loyal subject of men high in
political power, whose early social life
the same men who denOunee Mrs.
Woodruff tell us mustn't be exposed, be-
cause they have reformed, it would in
deed lily become us as a woman to de-
nounce a sister, who, granting that
all that her defamers say is true, shows
no blacker record than does the present
President of the United States. AS a
woman suffragist, Mrs. Woodruff is
welding a vast and telling power. AS
wife and mother, her present social re-
lations are beyond reproaeh. General
Grant, as President, is welding a power
that is doing the nation great good. As
a husband and father, his present social
/ life is as pure as Mrs. Woodhulrs. 1t is
not what these public workers hare
done, but what they are doing no,c, that
we must judge them by. We cannot
accept Mrs. Woodhulrs social theories,
as we understand them. We have
nothing to do with her vagaries, but we
glory in her work for the great cause of
Woman Suffrage.
Dear Mrs. Duniway: You have cordi-
ally invited those who have question
to ask, or a scolding to give you, to con-
tribute to the correspondents column.
Now 1 come with both: lst. Are YOU
certain that your aspersions upon the
character of the President are trueP 2d.
Don't you think you were ''fool-hardy''
in making such statements? Sd. Do
you think any good can come of them ?
1 like your fearless utteranees, and your
usually noble stand for truth and justice,
but must scold you roundly for attack
ing the social character of the President
of the United States, to whom this great
nation is fondly looking as its present
stay and future hope.
Yours Indignantly, c.
] Thank you, friend C. We like mar