The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-07-11

debate in Parliament, on motion to
alter the charter of Massachusetts.
II cannot think Che said the noble /
I0rd,D referring TO Lord North the
lPTemierl ''will do better thing than To
nut an end to the town-meetings in the
lcoIony of Massachusetts. / would not
have men of a mercantile cast, every
day. collecting themselves together and
debating about political matters. l
would have them follow their occupa
tions as merchants, and not consider
themselves as ministers OF that country.
They have, sir, no government. Their
proceedings are those of tumultuous
and riotous rabble, who ought, II they
had the least prudence to follow their
mercantile employment, and not trouble
themselves with politics and govern
ments, which they do hot understand"
To us, who are pressing our claims,
this argument doesn't sound hundred
! wears old. But we will remember that
! the eolonists did not therefore leave the
; town meetings, and go back to their
! cornfieids and their cOuntersi Nor does
! il accord with the Christian idea of
,, government, to ask what benefit the
, State will receive from making Us citi-
zens?
Frothingham, i'm his "Rise Of the Re-
\ public" ably traces the change in the
|, ideal of social order, from the time it
: rested on the assumed inequality OF
4 man-when the individual was valued
only as he was of service to the State.
( This was the pagan idea and gave way
: only when Christianity came, with its
I central idea that man was created in the
= divine image and that in the eye Of God
Y all men were equal, which led to the in
: ference that man is superior to the State,
. which ought to be fashioned for his use.
5 1t was not till after the Reformation
o that there arose class of thinkers who
o grasped the idea that the State ought to
d exist for the individual.
n Nor is Justice done i'm the assurance
that the ballot will be accorded us when
II all women ask 1t.
n There were, in some of the colonies,
# laws imposing penalties on absentees
from elections, showing \ conviction
d that II is the duty of all citizens to share
5 in public affairs. There are those who
d favor such regulations now, As one
Il means of averting the peril in which
q our nation stands. Moreover, since
g forty per cent. OF the men did not vote
n at the last Presidential election, what
q would become Of the right of those who
e did not IL it were forfeited on as slight
3 grounds as ours is denied?
Yet women can only be charged with
q lacking the spirit to claim opportunity,
:, in the face of bitter opposition, while
a twO-fifths of the men are guilty oil neg
~ lecting to Use the opportunity thelI
, fathers bequeathed them at the price oi
>, blood and treasure.
y But, earnestly as I would appeal tc
n men, yet more earnestly and lmpres'
7 sively would appeal to women! IL Is
10 our demand that this concession
: will be made and to il alone. do moi
., forget the difficulty Of the task befor,
,s us. But, remembering that hundred
n. wears ago this day, the men of Boston
=, were pushing their political action tS
ne the issue of independence, at the mouths
n of hostile cannon, ! trust that ia th'
same great cause, and with the Samt
10 noble spirit, we are ready to push ours
no even under the cannonade OF hostile
nor mouths.
n. Upon the freest, happiest, most for
IT, tunate woman before me, ! CALI upoT
i'm those whose well-being makes it eSpe
of cially incumbent upon them to rise Il
H. broader considerations than "Wha
Mt shall | eat, what shall | drink, anC
n. wherewithal shall | be clothed ?'' lie
u us not forget that there are thOusand
nd who stand where the temptation Is 4
he preserve domestic peace, to keep thei
or only chance of bread-winning-even Z
wv retain possession of their children-seal
ng their lips, aye, acts like an Opiate upol
gh brain and conscience. But | earnestl,
ed appeal to women upon whom the nee'
al, of daily bread does not press so heavily
no to women whose domestic relations ar
he above the plane of law, so that though
lot and action are as free as II no unJus
to restrictions disgraced our statue-books
so The world would persuade us that tn
for question of rights is supertiuOus {
.. ] lot ai Al
len thing beyond that, to protection.
er, this were true, is it honorable, unde
n a any circumstances save iuvalidlsm
it'll imbecility, for AN adult class to be cOr
tent with the position of = protected an
we governed class ? For one, believe /
ore no ones rights in anOthers keeplns
AN As the Colonists claimed liberties tht
ier- were beyond the domain of king or Pa
ian Lament, so We claim liberties beyon
are the domains Of Legislatures.
lti- fla right to the Unrestricted use OF OF
r or faculties be not such, what Is? IL Il
der right to the ownership of our earpin;
,uf- be not such, what is? II the mother
the right to the child she has borne be N
ses, such, what is? do not hesitate to 81
,iu- that the man or woman who does N
the want liberty, has no high ideal, for sue
pu- an ideal cannot be worked out in bond
I is As we'll, with fettered limbs, might Il
: of mettled horse try to run the race, or Il
hat gallant swimmer to breast the flood.
the We are constantly told that woma
the by her lofty moral sense and the de
.ure cacy of her perceptions, is mans savio
mir Men tell us this, and prove their co
be- viction by depriving her, as far as TIT
can do so by legislation, of every oppc
the tuuity to make her influence eifectiy
In They exhaust language in laudinS h
p. of ongelic finenpss of nature, and pro
ract their sincerity by making her the hel
,On- less victim Of the worst passions WI
can which the most british man may
Dply cursed. They call woman mans pl
pro- server, and the common speech In
/ in spirit of Adam, finds some wom
n TO guilty whenever man is weak. But
1873. live in a society, which, though II
the Iieyes in one God, and reads one Bib
keens two codes Of morals, one for ms
pists and another for women. Yet by
ston strange inversion, the code Tor !
the stronger sex palliates moral weakne
inci- while that for the weaker sex demar
sun moral strength enough for both.
hal man il gives the control Of money,
nave sInport and favor OF the law, and libel
the To bursue his course unhindered, CIV
ASA thouph it lead to the gaming-house
d 20 the draua-shop. To woman 1t den
.wed ths favor Of the law, and just remune
by a sion for labor. Even though she %
save mother with the mightiest ohllgati,
IT'S" upon her, il interpOses the VIII oi ailol
le TO between her and freedom. IL rivets
They chains by adrolt appeals to vanity,
cord love Of ease, her affections anu III