The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-08-21
MULTNoMAH COUNTY ". s. A.

a called meeting Of the Multnomah
County Woman Suffrage Association
was held in Good Templars' Hall on
Wednesday evening Owing to the
public excitement over the protracted
business of the Methodist Conference,
the attendance, though good, was not
large, but the utmost order and interest
characterized the assembly.
The meeting was called TO order by
the President.
After reading the minutes OF the
previous meeting by the Secretary and
the reports of the various committees,
the President made the opening address.
She explained that this was her first at
tempt at speech making, and then pro-
ceeded in very apt and pleasant way
to review the history of the Woman
Movement from the time Of the Adam
and Eve of the first TO that of the Adam
and Eve Of the present.
While it was not possible for us to
imagine where the women Of the pres
ent are who sit at home as queens
with nothing to do, Of whom she told
US, who want the ballot, yet we are glad
if she has found such. Our experience
has taught us that women who have
nothing to do except to "sit at home as
queens" take no interest in anything but
dress and display, and therefore look
upon the women who want the ballot as
out OF their sphere. But, we repeat, we
are glad if she has found il otherwise,
and now we look for her to induce some
Of them to come TO the front in future
meetings.
Mrs. Nictor's essay, entitled Suffrage
and Religion" was an able and in
structive paper and was listened TO with
much attention. This essay will be
published next week.
Rev. Mr.. Pierce, late of Wyoming,
and now pastor of the First Baptist
Church, in this city, having been called
away upon business, submitted paper,
giving an impartial statement Of the
practical workings of Woman Suffrage
in that Territory. Read by Mrs. Co.
burn, and ordered published In the NEW
NORTHWEST.
Mrs. Duniway followed with a brief
address, in which she stated that women
are to be empowered by Congress, TO
vote for President and Presidential
Electors in 1876. She said that this
right would be granted through the
necessities OF the Republican party.
She would be glad indeed to say that
women would become enfranchised
through the demand for justice arising
from the overpowing moral sentiments
Of great people. But the men who
hold the reins of government, through
whom women must get the ballot
because they alone have the power TO
grant IL, are actuated by the same
motives now that prompted men
when they enfranchised the negro.
Woman would get the ballot just as the
negro did. While Individual Demo.
Gratis are favorable to Woman Suffrage,
the party, as party, is opposed to IL,
and will vote against il. Senator Kelly
was a friend to the cause, but when the
matter came up in the Senate, lie voted
with his party.
She thought nothing would be done
during the next or forty-fourth session
Of Congress, except to ''indefinitely post.
pone" Woman Suffrage bill. But by
the meeting Of the Forty-fiflh Congress,
another Presidential campaign will be
upon the Congressional tapis, and botl,
/ Houses still Republican in majority
will see that only by empowering wom-
en- with the exercise of suffrage, will ii
be possible for them 10 succeed In elect
ing another Administration. IL will be
time enough for woman to begin to
cleanse the ".Stygian poor' after she
, comes into possession Of her portion of
the great National property where this
filth j. engendered under unnatural
conditions, and where she cannot now
work, because the doors are shut and
locked, and the legal voters hold the
key, which is the ballot.
As the hour was late, Mrs. ID. was
only permitted to sketch a skeleton out
line of an argument, which riveted the
attention OF her hearers, and caused u
generally expressed wish that she would
appoint some time in the near future 10
give her views in detail upon the politi-
cal situation.
The meeting adjourned, subject TO the
call of the President.