The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-03-14
THE vEXED QUESTION.

The following editorial in a recent
issue of the Hcr0ld-a decent and
respectable opponent, by the way-is
worthy of more than n passing notice:
II we mistake not il was Mrs. Duniway who,
with much more truth than poetry. remarked
that public opinion stimulates in "A woman q
desire Tor display and idieness, and a rare ana
elegant life while IL binds her, hand and foot,
20 detan her from earning these luNurics.-
She might have gone = step further 10 inquire
who was the author and cherishine mother oi
this same public opinion. which operates 50
niuriously to al the higher interests OF INC
gcntler sex. IL II not male pubic opinion ihai
stimulates those extensive and expensive mon
StrOsities IN dress, which women cling 70 win
such fashionable tenaciiy. The sweeping tlsii,S
and the other nOuScusicsil absurdites are an
suggested by a very foolish female vanity ana
neither win the approval nor respect OF tne
coarSer vessel. II women would hut return 20
the modest and economical hapils oi tntit
grandmOthers, the complaint OF ',noihihe 70
wearf would disappear, and not only doiit-stlc
happiness, but all the higher interests whieh
cluster round the domestic board, would be
materially benefited.
We think, if our brother would read
up our cogitations half as closely as we
read those from his pen, he would
know, of a truth, that we have gone
more than one step further in our in
quiries as to the cause of the fact he
quotes. We sorrowfully admit the
truth of every word he utters, and yet,
while woman has no higher aspiration
than dress, fashion and display; while
the only property she can rightly ac-
cumulate and own is clothes; and while
she, like man, is naturally aequisitive,
and fond of many possessions, il is not
TO be wondered at that she expends heI
taste and genius in Expensive mon
strosities i'm dress" "The sweeping
trails and other nonsensical absurdities''
he mourns are an abnormal outgrowth
of woman's entrammeled condition. II
is worse than folly to talk about ere
turning to the economical habits Of oul
grandmother" in these days, when thC
spinning wheel and loom are discarded
for the sewing machine. Women
must have employment, and since they
, are debarred by man from such politica
! and pecuniary opportunities as he con
: siders Indispensable to his own advan
tage, they very naturally choose the Oc
r cupation Of personal adornment, witt
which to crafty industry and acquis
itiveness. Man need not be so vain a
to imagine that woman believes sh
gains his approval by such employment
: neither is she so foolish as to believ
: that his admiration is productive c
! any great good 10 herself when she sc
cures it only through self-abnegatior
! She merely means to acquire prOpert
because such acquisition is the rulin
propensity Of the age, and being de
: barred from other avenues of busines:
unless possessed of more than ordinar
pluck and perseverance, by which sh
4 may carve for herself an honorable oC
l cupatiOn in the teeth of ridicule an
: misrepresentation, she very naturalF
/, betakes herself to ruffies, panniers, jew
T elry and other nonsense TO employ he
7 mind and quiet her ambition. Wome
y of business are not disposed TO extray
C agance in dress; neither do they spen
> more time upon their toilet than bus
: ness men, but while men find such OF
e cupations readily, if possessed of brain
e and perseverance enough TO engage i
n them, women, no matter what their ma
) ural or acquired qualifications, are, as
r general thing, detained, hand and foot
i from earning or amassing other prol
: erty, and hence arises their exhaustiN
It monstrosities sofimaginationab about dres
n Will our contemporary take notes?