The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-12-26

ADDRESS OF p. W. RYAN AT GOOD TEAPI.ARs'
FESTIVAL, ~ NoSrAREIL HALL, DECEMBER
10, 1873.
The history of woman is the history
of Peace and Civilization. Historians
have very little say about the civilization
of woman. They tell us of battles lost
and won; Of carnage, riot, pillage and
devastation, but they do not tell us who
civilized the world, and we are COM
PEELED to search through the waste fields
where they have garnered their stores for
facts to aid US in solving this question.
Rome gave us our civilization, and Rome
derived her civilization from Greece;
Greece from Egypt, and woman civilized
Egypt. That was a long time ago, say
you. Yes, it t0ds long ago. tt was
shortly after the deluge, VIXEN the
women of Egypt were the traders and
merchants and gave citizenship and
progress the start; where in the marriage
contract the woman promised to sup
port the husband and the husband
promised to obey the wife; when by law
the daughters were bound to support the
parents when they grew old, and not
the sons. The thick-headed men of
Egypt-the most talented in the world
found they knew nothing compared to
the knowledge of the women. For their
own interests they constituted the
women the controlling class. Aswe are
about to be overcome by The deluge of
intemperance is it not about time tre
also placed the women in the high
places -?
The normal condition Of woman is
peace, and being engaged in peaceful
pursuits she could not fight, and men
monopolized the trade of war and pill
lage, and woman lost her rights in their
universal game of grab.
Among barbarians woman is the slave
and the drudge. She does all tue work
and takes care of the property of the
husband. Among civilized nations,
having lost her right to think or act
for herself, woman's position is very
little better than the barbarian drudge
garded as n secondary consideration
1t is repressed in every way. She
must follow certain fashions or become
the town talk. Her high aspirations arr
subdued by careful teachings, while mar
is taught to be self-reliant aud to have {
wonderful and abiding faith in his su
periority over her.
But women are taught from childhood
to lean upon and look up to and worship
man, and be deceitful. The whole sys
tenn of their education leads them to the
suppression of the truth.
II welI-bred girl is asked to marry
she invaribly says "no," but her love
knows by her dropping eyes and heav
, ing bosom that she means Eyes" If h'
! has ever read novels he will know wha
. to do. He will encircle her delicat'
waist with his arm, and exclaim tragic
Q ally, "Oh, dearest Mary, life's journe!
: will be desolate without theew Sh
D will then fall into Timber swoon, ant
g gushingly excIaim, "Dear John, yol
I must ask ma and pa" The lives O
I young girls are not devoted to high pur
poses or useful pursuits, but to the stud.
t of fashions and cosmetics so that the.
e can appear comely in person and be en-
n abled to entice men of finflammatory feel
Ings from the freedom Of single blessed
l ness. Their first duty is to catch a man
and for this purpose they have man.
II accomplishments. They become wei
" versed in the language Of flowers.
. you give young lady flower she in
y vRriably bushes and asks you archly
: "Do you mean it ?" If you give her
y pink, she knows that in your eyes sh
n is the pink Of perfection; IL rose she