The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-22
"PBOUNIARY INDEPENDENCE AND
POLITICAL RIGHTS"
Under this head the Portland Bulletin
discourses as follows:

-~ @-NAA A@AaAR
Under this head the Portland Bulletin
discourses as follows:
political and consequent pecuniary indie
pendence for women" is the subject Of an arti-
Gle in the NEW NORTHWEST. IL would be pru-
dence not 70 base too great hope on pecuniary
independence following Of course upon pOliti-
cal rights We know several men who have
all political rights but never know what pecun-
larry independence IS; and OF several others
who have no political rights who have never
theless complete pecuniary Independence. As
q matter Of fact one hundred or even one thOus-
and persons reach pecuniary independence
through other pursuits where one reaches ii
through the aid rendered by the possession of
the right to vote and TO hold office.
AS a political fe1lceT our brother is o
decided success. You can no more pre-
vail upon him to directly face the great
live issue Of Woman Suffrage, now be-
fore the American people, than you
could prevail upon him to declare for
the Liberation and enfranchisetnent of
colored men before that work was done.
But that he does once and q while meas
ure lances with US, albeit his thrusts are
only feints, is to us an ernest of the good
time coming, when he, seeing the ne
cessity for political salvation through
equal rights, and through that channel
only, shall be emboldened to demand
for woman like opportunity with man
for what there is of "pecuniary indie
pendence" in political life. We have
never claimed that "pecuniary indie
pendence" for all women would "follow
of course upon political rights" The
proportion of women who would be
thus directly benefited would be about
the same as among men. But, if the
one-hundredth or One-thousandth man
reaches such independence through the
possession of the right to vote and
hold office" by what rule Of freedom or
justice shall the one-hundredth or one
thousandth woman be debarred from
the same opportunities?
While political rights would not di-
rectly shower pecuniary independence
upon the masses of women any more
than upon the masses Of men, they
would open the way to pecuniary adj
vantages of ease and emolument, now
restricted TO the opposite sex, and would
enable women to make many laws and
regulations for their own and human
ity's benefit which men, be they never
so magnanimOus, cannot afford TO open
TO a disenfranchised class.
Our brother has good reason to know
of citizens and Taxpayers who are
not voters, but who are otherwise equal
and in some cases even superior to men
women who have no political rights'
to bring them pecuniary independence"
who have need of nothing but these
rights TO ensure such Independence.
He knows that the Government cannot
afford its fat positions to those who
have no vote; and he also knows that
persons who have no voice and power
in the Government, because of their
sex, are otherwise possessed of like ne
cessities with himself, and that there is
no justice in the unwise legislation
against sex-hood, which makes it po-
litieal disgrace to be wife or mother.
Perhaps one mother in fifty is sup
ported by the father of her children,
while the forty-nine remaining ones
earn livelihood besides the ordering Of
their households. They are compelled
to do so to lire; and it is the shame of
this Republic-this boasted land of free
dom and chivalry-that men monopo-
lie all political privileges and leave
women, in their weakness, to struggle
with toll and drudgery, over-taxing
their physical strength to the detriment
Of the health and mentality of their
children-supported by men, just as
owners of slaves supported their field
hands, in the days Of slavery, upon the
chattels' own earnings.
Women do not care, any more than
do men, to depend upon political
rights for pecuniary independence" ," but
they do claim that whatever Of benefit
may accrue to man from the possession
Of such rights can and ought to be en-
Joyed to like extent by woman. This
women demand, and this, in the on
ward msrch Of inevitable progression,
they shall surely obtain.
We should rejoice il our brother would
throw his influence in the scale in this
great struggle, that he might enjoy the
fruits Of the forthcoming victory; but If
he chooses TO be left behind in the race
We cannot help it,