The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-03-07
KEEP IT BEFORE THE PEOPLE.

As our exchanges come in, freighted
with Alliance comments, we are more
than ever convinced that the old system
Of oppression, or might against right,
which ran such riot in the great Rebel
lion, is not dead, and scarcely even
sleepeth. While all the papers alike
condemn the riot and misrule that held
sway where naught but order and har-
mOny should have entered, the differ
ent stand-points from which they look
at the facts are as wide apart as the an
tipodes. The journals that were in open
or covert sympathy with the great
Shareholders Rebellion, and sought by
every act to retard the Nations legisla-
tion, are as unanimous in laying the
blame of the anarchy in the Temperance
Alliance TO "Woman Suffrage" as were
the same publications in charging the
other Rebellion to abolition" And
the same short-sighted journals that
were timid then about coming out for
the cause Of freedom and justice, until
they were certain as to which would
be the popular course to pursue, are
now non-committal and deprecatory.
But the same journals that took the
lead in standing by the Constitution and
the Union or Alliance then, in the
face Of foes, intrigue and anarchy, have
now, with one accord, come out like
giants, as they are, to do battle in de-
fense Of justice. As in the greater Re
bellion, there never was one moment
when the majority would have voted to
violate the Federal Constitution; so in
this lesser one, a majority were all the
while in favor of admitting the Woman
Suffrage delegation according to the Con-
stitution, and they would not thus have
dared to thus prove false to freedom.
The irrepressible conflict goes on, and
will continue to go on until all forms of
human slavery are abolished, and every
kind Of intemperance is abrogated and
conquered.
The packed committee who elected
Ryan are working to-day in the inter
est Of the secession ring who caused all
the discord i'm the Temperance Alliance.
His election was palpably a put-up job,
well understood by himself and the Sc
ceders, who sought and yet seek to man
age the Temperance element OF the
State in such a way as shall best prove
10 the WHISKY ring chow not to do it.n
There is not a man in this State who
has one thimbleful of brains above his
ears but knows that it is only by poll
tics that intemperanee can be checked
or destroyed. And there is not a man
or woman in the State, blessed with a
mOdicum Of brains that verges on moral
accountability, but knows that never,
until the votes Of women are every
where received upon the Temperance
question, will it be possible to destroy
the whisky ring. Yet in the face Of
this great fact men who have better
sense, but have not the common hon
esty to confess the truth, declare that
woman's vote upon the subject is a
"side issue.U
Men and brethren, we're ashamed of
eOA~ AOA hlEn AuAA " ElA lAl0AL W OlldD
Suffrage had an overwhelming majority
in the Alliance and with all true
Temperance people everywhere, and for
this reason, and this reason only, you
were opposed TO us. You were deter
mined, with your President, that the
majority should not rule, and failing in
your schemes, you sought to disOrgan-
ize that which you could not control;
and now, like JEFF Davis, you only ask
TO be let alone. With all due Difference
10 your desires, we declare that we will
not let you alone. We hereby give you
warning that we shall attend every
Temperance meeting in the State, when
ever and wherever it is possible, and
shall go, too, as delegate" not to "run"
anybody who is disposed to do right,
but to keep before the people the all
important fact that if the demon Intem-
peranee is ever conquered the victory
must come through woman's vote.