The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-09-18

TO take back what he has said about
woman's need of equal rights before the
law. 1t is emphatically the business Of
man to breast the storms of business
and adversely, and prevent even the
winds of heaven from visiting woman
roughly. The holy offices of wife,
mother and sister are woman's peculiar
province. Let her rest there in blissful
protection, feeling that the God of the
Universe knew what was best for her,
when he said, thy desire shall be to
thy husband, and he shall rule over
thee WOman's nature is so pure and
true that it would never do to allow il
to be corrupted by politics. Let her
mission rather be TO keep bright and
cheerful the domestic hearth, that when
the breadwinner and head Of the family
comes in from his daily business cares,
he may always find a loving and happy
companion ready to meet him with
smiles and blessings. No woman would
do this If her mind were crowded with
the weighty affairs of state. But, sir,
/ there is another view to be taken of this
confounded question. Go, for instance,
to the walk in and Welcome There
are always to be found in that saloon,
| from half score to half hundred wo-
men, who rule to-day the political
affairs of this city. Or, rather, should
that we who are leaders
in politics, through them, and the in
fluence they WELD with arts and en-
braces and whisky are enabled to carry
elections just about as we choose. Sup
pose, now, that all women, the wives
and mothers Of men, had equal oppor-
tunity with us to make the laws, what
hope could we have then that we might
use the influence of prostitutes TO further
our designs? OF course, friends, / un-
derstand that l am speaking to you
| privately aud in confidence. When /
talk on the outside, say that there are
so many prostitutes in the land, that it
would never do for women to be enfran-
chised, for the bad women would have
everything their own way-as only bad
women will vote.
"As women now are, whatever party
can buy the most whisky can control
the most prostitutes, and through them,
command the most votes. As women
would be, were they free and equal
with us, we should never know to GER
tainty what to depend upon, because
they have heads OF their own, when
they have half a chance, I assure you.
hope the gentleman will withdraw the
toast that has been offered, and permit
me to submit the following substitute:
The ladies! God bless them! They
cradle Us in infancy, caress US in boy
/ hood, love US in manhood, cheer us in
old age, and obey their own sweet will
in all things Gentlemen, that will
fiatter our ursweethearts, please our sisters
mollify our mothers, and soft soap the
whole lot of them"
Deafening applause followed the con-
clusion Of the speech.
Every bumper was refilled to running
over and drained to the bottom in thC
exhurberanee Of woman-protecting joy
But where was Annie Lee while al
this hilarity was being enjoyed by hel
brother Henry, who was now not only
on the high road to vast wealth and un
bounded political influence, but who
was also-thanks to the evil associa
tions that had coiled themselves abou
HMM great danger of falling a victim
to the same great curse that had EN-
bittered his boyhoOd's days, and mad
victims of his father, mother and brothe
James.
In a back room Of her dwelling
closeted with her unfortunate brother
who was suffering deeply from manu-
p pot,t, sat the heroic girl, and by her sid
r her ever welcome companion, the siste
of her absent lover.
, "If can only keep him in confine
4 ment here until we get him sobered of
we may he able to escape the fine tina
[ would be imposed upon US, if he shoul
I be drunk and disorderly on the street,
said Annie, as her brother, yielding q
. last to a powerful opiate, sank into
y heavy slumber. Begging Alice to re
tire, she procured writing materials an
occupied herself till far into the we,
! small hours Of the morning in writin
= disquisition upon hereditary drunken
ness. Her brain seemed ablaze wit
ideas as she wrote, and when dayligh
, had fully come, and Alice appeared il
quiringly upon the scene, she was SUI
prised at the voluminous manuscriI
If that her friend exhibited.
q 'How did you learn to compose an
/ paragraph so correctly?" she querieC
Il after glancing hurriedly over few {
e the introductory pages. "You tell m
IF thatyou have had almost no opportunit
e for education, and yet this essay beal
\ the marks of extreme culture"
It "There's very little art in such thin,
Is to one that has good eye, and is in IL
W habit Of reading books and newspapeI
at critically. You know that Melvin says |
,r his letters that 1 am gifted with the pei
r verify believe that with one-half
st my brothers opportunities, 1 migl
no equal him as a writer"
is Alice cautiously observed the drunke
r unfortunate, to see that he was sti
" soundly sleeping and then, seating he
~ self beside her friend, she said, "Do yC
ns know, my more than sister, that "
y have fortune in your pen, If you vi
20 but use IL 81