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

may nave oeeu IN the past, so far re-
forming his habits as to return towards |
the plane Of common decency, such a
woman is disposed 10 forget his past |
errors and encourage and laud his pres
ent good endeavors. In this spirit we
hereby copy and comment on the fol- |
lowing from the Oregon City Enter
prise:
Last Friday evening, as per encouragement,
Mn Duniway spoke at the Court House in this
city. Il was the frsi time we have had the
pleasure Of hearing this lady. and much 10 our
regret, We only heard a portion Of her speech.
What ws heard Of il was well delivered, but
full OF wrong premises and consequently wrong
conclusions. We did not hear enough to make
an issue with the lady, and being unwilling 10
do her injustice we fprbear comment. She is
rather q pretty speaker, and her audience lis
tened to her with the utmost attention. She
was 20 speak on the following evening. but
there was hardly any one present, and she did
not speak
Sudden indispOsition prevented us
from making editorial mention of our
lectures in Oregon City last week as
well as several other matters we had in
tended to notice; but we are glad now
we waited, as the account Of the meet
ings would not have been complete with
out the comments of the local paper.
II our brother will be kind enough to
us and just enough to himself to make
no future attempt at would-be witty OBJ
scenity, and will proceed to tell us how
and wherein our premises are wrong"
and TO what consequently wrong con-
clusions they lead" We promise him, in
fairness and candor, to pay respectful
heed to his logic, and obey it il it good.
IL he claims the prerogative OF head
ship, it is his duty to teach US; and as
he gallantly says he is unwilling TO
show us injustice" We ask him to point
out better path and show US why it is
better, and we shall then see why we
should walk therein. The closing SEN
tence OF his "Iocap' provokes a laugh.
The fact is, as half OF Oregon City
knows from being present, there was a
good audience OF ladies and a number of
gentlemen in attendance on Saturday
evening, Notwithstanding it was the
most inelement evening Of the winter;
and we did speak for an hour, TO rs ap-
preciative and intelligent q people as
ever listened to US. The meeting then
adjourned to go to a party in Charley
Pope's new stOre-a party which was
gotten up after the two days meeting
was announced, as we were told, in op-
position TO the Woman Suffrage move
ment. To get even we invited the audi
ence to go from the lecture to the party,
which was very thin in numbers till
the Suffragists got there, and then there
was quite respectable crowd. Mr..
Pope is the gentleman, it will be re-
membered, who stopped his fathers
paper, after the old gentleman's death,
some two years ago, interlarding his
letter with oaths and insults, and refus-
ing TO honor his fathers contract. But
be WAS sober and behaved well at
the party, and maybe he'll do better
hereafter
Another incident of which we should
not have spken here had it not been for
q notice In the Enterprise respecting it,
rendered the first evenings lecture for
time a very doubtful performance. We
waited at the hotel till lecture time, and
then on proceeding to the Court House
in the storm, found the Sheriff gone and
the hall locked. Messengers were dis
patched in all directions and after long
waiting the missing functionary was
found by somebody, and hurried to his
post Of duty. As We were satisfied
after talking with the gentleman that
he had neglected his part of the pro-
J gramme inadvertently, and, as there
was no damage done beyond a vexatious
( delay, which we assured the audience
would not again occur, We did not mean
to allude to it again and would not now,
! only we want to say to the Enterprise
that our work is wholly political one;
I that Court Houses are legitimately
opened always for political meetings,
and if men as deputy sheriffs or wardens
are not willing to light up for such
meetings, there are plenty of women in
whose favor they may resign who will
cheerfully accept the situation and do
their duty.
In Oregon City, as elsewhere, the
growth of the woman movement is
constant matter of surprise. The best
and most Intelligent men and women
are its adherents, and while there are no
spasmOdie outbursts of enthusiasm any
where, there is an undercurrent OF re-
spectful interest that betokens healthy
growth Of public sentiment.
If politicians could only realize what
they are jeopardizing for the future by
holding out against the movement, they
would lose no time in espousing it. But,
after all, it is well. Many OF them have
had their day and it is best that they
should lay themselves on the shelf to
make room for a more vigorous man
hood and womanhoOd that will not
cling to the mouldy superstitions Of a
dead and buried past.