The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-05-30
MRS. BRlNKERmoers ArrINrrY.

latest escapade OF an advocate Of
female suffrage and womaD.s 3 rights
Mrs. Brinkerhof of Michigan, who
appears to follow the practices of
the Woodruff, while with feminine
perversity she repudiates the doctrines
of the Woodruff. In plain English,
Mrs. Brinkerhof has left her hus.
band and gone to live with shoe
maker named Squiers. Per se the
item is not of immense importance,
but it presents some facts which at
least are Of interest.
The persons in the epic Of Battle
Greek are three in number-the
Brinkerhof, the husband of Brinker-
hoff. and the affinity of Brinkerhof.
The second Of these, Mr. Brinker-
hof il Of importance only as prov
ing that there is such q thing as the
husband of strong minded woman.
On this point. touching the primal
origin and ultimate fate of the
male Of that species, the most pro.
voking confusion and contradiction
have obtained. With perhaps the
exception Of Mrs. Julia Ward Howe,
of Massachusetts, the woman q rights
advocates of the century have been
unable to produce living authority or
apologies in breeches for the title of
Mrs" which they have assumed.
And Mr.. Howe's existence only rests
on the, allegation OF his wife-an
interested witness-that he projected
his "fery entrails" against q glacial
age; an assertion which would seem
to connect Mrs. Howe's husband
wich the crowning race Of steam
men who in the future shall bear
our burdens and fulfil all the baser
functions of life. The impression
has prevailed that the weak minded
husband was to the strong-minded
wife what the drone is to the queen
bee-an individual of the. male
species who was destroyed ruthlessly
as soon as he had conferred the
the honor of matronhood upon his
superior bride. This slander is now
refuted. He is spared for future
usefulness. II o strong minded
woman had no husband how eould
she desert her husband I? Brinker.
hoff, like the worm in Tennyson, has
not been "cloven in vain" nor "shriv.
elled in q fruitless fire" of jealousy
Though the husband of Mrs.
Brinkerhof cannot be called jealous,
for we are expressly informed that be
justifes the action of his wife and is
willing. nay anxious, that she should
marry her affinity. In his conduci
some may profess to see lack of prop
er spirit or a disgraceful abdicatior
of the privileges and duties attaching
TO his position as q man and hus
band. We are not of these. Mr.
Brinkerhoff is not tamely and ig
nominiously accepting the situation
and playing Menelaus to the Paris o
Mr.. Sauiers. He might shoot Mr.
Squiers with impunity. but he re
serves for him seserer punishment
He "iustifes his wife and is anxious
that she should marry Squiers."
Mr.. Squiers also deserves mention
though he, too, plays rather q pas
sive part in the drama. He is !,
shoemaker suitor who went ultr
crepidam. He called upon Mrs
Brinkerhoff whether to take he
measure or dun her does not appear
at moment when-in the pEraseol
ogy of her school--"al the stars il
heaven had gone out" She wa
physically unbalanced"-whateve
that may be--and unable to stud,
and lecture. aHow to live and pa
her debts" was q problem beyond he
power to solve. From his more impair
tial standpoint the reader may with Dl
johnson deny the premises and as
sert that there was little necessity fo
Mrs. Brinkerhoff to pay her debts
and still less TO prolong her exis
tence; but she thought otherwise
At this opportune moment Squiers
q celestial cordwainer, entered.
Mrs. Brinkerhoff's wooing combiE
ed the passion of the South and th
practicality of the East. She sue
cinctly stated the case as follows
ST must love some one to save m
life. I do not ask any one TO loy
me-" Then she pointedly put ii
question: s'Can you accept th
situation without neglecting you
family and duties?" It is safe
infer that the shoemaker of Battl
| Greek, Mich, who s.lived among tt
the stars enough" was by this tim
SO completely and confusedly e,
alted that, again to quote Tennysor
he walked with Death and Mornin
Ion the silver horns"-shoe-horns. ..
course. Blushing as deep hue /
red morocco, he accepted the situ'
tion," and swore. in the language I
his craft and Mrs. Brinkenhoffs le
ter, that .shislove should be 'lasting.
;. The rest is all but leather an
prunella, as may be read in our CO
respondents letter. We would on
add word of warning to the meI
bers Of that sex which has furnish<
the Brinkerhof with a husband al
. an affinity. There has been inaug
. rated at Battle Greek, Mich, q ey
J tenn of vast and dangerous poss
bilities. There would appear to
no more safety for the rural sho
maker that calleth when all t
. stars of heaven have gone out" th,
for the urban gas collector who du
meth at MONDAY. II the relations
the sexes are to be changed violent
Iii the woman is to be the acti
: lover and the man the passive love
if She is to pop and He to refer b
: i Il