The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-06-27
WOMEN IN RELIGION Oh POLITICS.

some inherent, radical differ |
ence in the spheres of the sexes, which /
women are all the while seeking to
overcome, and they-God bless them!-
in their superior wisdom and piety,
equally striving to sustain! And then
again, how strange it is that they never
imagine that women have any sole
province aside from mans, while they
have many aside from woman's!
A recent morning Bulletin is out with
an elaborate specimen Of masculine OBJ
fuscation, headed "Women in Religion
and Politics. which called forth the
above exclamations, and yet we are not
satisfied.
Says the Bulletin: "Religion is n
home comfort and perpetual joy as well
as solace, while politics belong more to
the streets and the haunts Of men, and
come more frequently laden with disap-
pointment and revenge than with con-
tentment and loving kindness toward
all. BY all means, then, let us have
women cling and devote themselves to
religion and abstain from politics in ev-
cry ostentatious manner.
Women in religion always, in politics
never"
Now, why do "politics belong TO the
streets and the haunts of men," sir :?
You answer because of the 'filthy pool"
Women deny that you have any right
to such a filthy pool, sir. That you
have it, dabble in it, take home the foul
smell of it upon your garments, and as
sociate in the closest relationships with
women whom you declare must be kept
free from such contaminations, while
the very fact that they must associate
with you renders the avoidance of such
contamination impossible, makes it i'm
perative upon them-despite your de
precatory exhortations in public and in
private-to go down into that ''poor
and cleanse it. We must do this work
or our religion" will amount TO
naught
Ours indeed is the ''fond and para
mount sphere of duty to mould and
guide the young in virtues walks, and
so to preside at home that while relig-
ion shall be always there with its pre-
cious and cheering light" there shall
be no 'baleful discussion of politics" to
"break in upon the family group TO
make the hearthstone like the street, I"
for women should be sin religion al
ways, in politics. euer. This only will
cause all that is "baleful" in politics,
yea, and your "filthy pool' itself, to
disappear.
But let us for moment agree with
you that woman should devote herself
to religion alone. Then follows the log
zeal conclusion, based upon your own
argument, that religion is wOman's sole
province, and man must have nothing
to do with it. For, if God has so consti-
tuted the sexes that their co-association
is wrong in politics, it is equally so in
religion; consequently, when man
''dabbles' in religion, he is tout Of hi.
sphere" and the minister or layman i:
"unsexed." A rule that will not work
both ways is no rule at all.
Now, suppose women for a season turn
the tables on you, sir, thus: ''True relig
ion, be ii remembered, ineulcates tn,
abnegatiOn Of love of self and the aban
donment of hate" Politics, on the con
trary, ''cannot but cultivate that desir
for self which is love only of those VIII,
serve US, and Of that degree of hat
which directs its venom or force agains
all who are opposed to the particula
cause of the object We happen to favo
or to champion" Consequently man
being stronger than woman physically
should glory in the "self-abnegation'
which religion inculcates, and as poll
ties cultivate "a desire to love onl,
those who serve u.s." we find it neces
} sary to the happiness Of the "weake
vessew that men become religious, wit
women as deacons and ministers, an
women become politicians, with thei
: own sex as lawmakers, in order tina
{ men may lose that "self love" whic
, has so long been fostered to their ow
r undOing.
T Our right as mothers to dictate is eel
= tainly equal to yours as sons TO do tn
, same. And il, from your standpoint
: you see fit 10 appoint our sphere for u
you have no just cause for complaint
: we dictate yours for you.
: But all such buneombe amounts [
I the sheerest twaddle, and we're ashame
, of the vanity and egotism that cause
anybody TO parade it seriously. ''Thl
, love Of SELF which our brother says
' necessarily engen6ered by politics.
: an abnormal growth of unnatural cond
, tions, gangrene, festered and fostere
' by wallOwing in that "filthy pool"
e is mans province to let the light {
v home shed its effulgence upon both r,
e ligion and politics, and it is woman
e province to aid and guide and couns
a him in each of these relations as we
n for his benefit as her own happines
IS that by the logic of one and the intu
V tiOn of the other, the children of bot
: may be elevated to higher ideal
S freedom and broader conception of i
. many responsibilities.
The Gazette Modicdle de Pdris chroI
= icles the entrance of women into ne
: occupation, namely, that of druggist
{ The School of Industry in Amsterdam