The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-08
PROTECTION For WOMAN.

Our brother of the Bulletin has partly
part only, of the interroga-
tories of last weeks NEW NORTHWEST
in the following style, which is salts
factory in part only:
Man does not in all cases protect woman
He Ofien deals unjustly and criminally towards
her. Injustice and crime also often chartcter-
iZe his dealings with his fellow man IT IS not
safe for woman 20 rely implicitly on man lor
protection, unless She first exercise dne pltc@tn- @
ton and prudence In aScertaining whether the
man on whom she relies Is a person ni IN
tegrity and honorable character linen sue
may do so. Sad as is the case OF Eliznbetn
King, she committed a grieyous iault, Acied
most unwiseiy, in permitting herseu 10 y. IN
veigled into a secret or mock marriage twas
her duty TO protect herself against such "a CON
neciion and its consequences. This she could
have done by requiring publicity: 1oouIlcHS
conduct towards her was criminal IN the hlgh-
est degree. mock marriage Is IN Nloihllon OF
law, This brings US TO the third question. No
additional legislation whatever could protect
woman in such a case She throws away tie
the protection of the law when she consents 70
a secret connection. As the law now stands
she has protection enough against Such De
lrayals, II she will only avail herseIi oi ",
Hence she does not need individual legislation
with which to protect herself In such cases
and she could not protect herself II she had All
the legislation In the world IL Is not that tle
law is inadequate for her protection as II
stands, but she does not avail herseI OF us pro-
lection. Every woman should know, every
woman does know, that a secret coIntctlpl
like that OF Elizabeth King with Charles Good
rich, even though the woman may regard II as
an honorable and valid marriage, Is foolish
and wrong. On a mans part II is an unInlsiak-
able crime II he leads awoman into such n con
neciiOn and then deserts her. The woman 5
remedy is caution and prevention, the true
/ remedy for all like evils; the remedy which
cannot be neglected without peril When a
wrong step is taken, the direful consequence is
sure 10 follow. Nature Is inexorable; trans
gression brings the inevitable penalty. Wom-
/ an can protect herself by being on her guard
against the hrSt imprudent and foolish step.
But il she takes that step she puts her means Ol
safety out OF her hands
While admitting that it was Eliza
beth Kings duty to protect herself
against a secret marriage, we cannot
admit, and neither, we think, will our
brother, that masculine legislation
tends to lead impecunious women to
thus protect themselves. Say what
you will, physical necessityis the first
law of nature. A woman may be per-
fectly spotless in her desires, and i'm
maculate in her relations to man, and
yet, through the needs of her nature
which money alone can supply, be
tempted beyond her power of endurance
to barter her sex-the only marketable
commodity or service that man reeog
nizes in woman, or is willing to pay fol
and thus fall victim to his wiles
when, were she equally independent po
litically, financially and socially will
himself, she would scorn to sell her Sc,
for support exactly as man, no matte
how degraded, now scorns to do such
thing.
1t is true that "no additional legisla
tiOn could protect woman in such
case' as Elizabeth Kings after she ha,
sinned, but it is equally true that prope
legislation would place her above tn
use of her sex for a support. 1t is no
"individual legislation" in itself whicl
women "needn or want, but onl,
through such legislation can they Sc
cure equal rights with men before tn
law, that they may thereby obtail
power To make and control their owl
destinies and thus outgrow the idea @
placing implicit confidence in men
wiles or promises for physical support
The law is inadequate" for woman
protection as it stands" because
hampers her opportunities for liveli
hood and independence, places her a
the mercy Of mans bounty for the cul
tivation of her tastes, and, through tn
whole tendency of its teachings, i'm
bues her morbid, over-fed love-natur
with false faith in her protector (?) mar
1t is idle TO expect woman, in all cases,
protect herself" when law and legisla
tion combine to lead her to look to ma
for protection even though experienC
prove that in most cases he cannot /
thus relied upon except at her peril.
Man-like, our brother lodges the mai
: question in our catalogue and confin,
e himself to the questions that suit hin
n We now repeat that main question an
: ask him TO favor us with a reply: Woul
e it not be far better to restore 10 woma
T the equal use of inalienable rights, TN:
a she might thus legislate for her polit
$ cal and consequent pecuniary indepen,
u ence, rather than place her at the mere
u Of men who, when they violate ever
obligation of honor and sacrifice ever
y affection of her soul upon the altar
Ie their selfish passions, leave her nothir
S S In palliation Of her wrongs but murd
l. and its awful consequences
Will he answer?