The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-10-09
LETTER FROM SALEM.


SALEM, OREGON, october I'd, ISL
Mrs. Al. DUSIwAY-Dear Madam:-We, the
citizens OF Salem and vicinity,
deeply appreciating your unselhsh devotion to
the cause OF Freedom and Temperance, re-
specially tender you a complimentary benefit
on Monday evening, October 5;h, when we
shall be pleased to hear lecture from you, up
on such a subject as you may suggest. We
have the honor TO be very respectfully, &c.
[Signed by one hundred and fifty-four ladies
and gentlemen.l
Mrs. Duniway, with characteristic
responded, announcing her
subject, 'The Destiny of our Republic"
and evincing her usual desire for orig
inality by deciding that "as door fees
were out of her line, the benefit to her
would be left to the direction of the
public in voluntary contribution"
But l was hurrying on and giving the
last part of my story first. Excuse me,
dear editor, and let us return to first
principles.
L being one of the committee ap-
pointed by members of our Suffrage So
ciety to solicit signatures to the invita-
tion to our chief and champion, to de-
liver a public lecture, met, as / said be-
fore, with various experiences that l
consider well worth the telling.
My first visit was to the Willamette
University, and had the proud satisfac-
tion of heading my list with the names Of
the Faculty, each of whom assured me
of his high appreciation of Mrs. Duniway
as a lady, as well as of her remarkable
oratieal powers and practical good sense.
My next visit, accompanied by our
friend Addie Miller, Professor of Spen-
cerian Penmanship, who is now teach
a class in this city, was to the Gu5erna-
torial Office, where His Excellency and
private Secretary sat in State, engaged
in the labOrious duty of enjoying office
chairs and elegant upholstery. Thought
of my dozen boarders and the large
washing on my clothes line, and Longed
to be rid of that species of political pro-
lection ~ which places strong men in
easy positions and weak women in the
most laborious occupations; but didn't
say so.
His Excellency took the paper and
made an attempt TO sign it. Then, with
a timidity peculiar to himself, he hesi-
tated, and finally declined to favor US
with his signature, explaining that his
party would not uphold him in appear
ing to identify himself in any way with
the Woman Movement. But he said
that personally he was ga warm friend
to Mrs. Duniway and n sympathizer
with her movement"
81 understand your position" said lit
tie Mrs. NJ. in her peculiarly sweet and
womanly way, "you are compelled to
stand before the public where your party
puts you"
The Governor blushed and bowed, and
we, unrepresented citizens of a so-ealled
government Of the people, apolOgized
for having intruded upon his valuable
time, left him and his private Secretary
to their cogitations upon the uphol-
stored chairs, and sought the Office OF
the Secretary of State. This worthy gen.
tleman cheerfully risked his Senatorial
aspirations, signed the paper, respect
fully eulogized the beneficiary and set
us upon the track of Senators and Rep
resentatives who, almost without excep-
tion, affixed their signatures when
asked, and bade us God speed.
Nor shall forget to do full justice TO
the ladies in this hurried letter There
was not one of the first-class ladies in
the city to whom the invitation was
presented, but signed ii readily and ex-
pressed themselves glad to do so.
Gentlemen, private citizens of Salem,
who have in times past held honorable
public positions, and who are men of
wealth and influence, gladly lent their
aid. Lawyers, doctors, judges, editors,
and ministers joined the band and at
tended the lecture.
The auditorium of the Opera House was
full. Professor a. l.. Francis and Mrs.
w. England favored the audience with
excellent music. Rev. Mr.. knight in
troduced the speaker in few very happy
remarks.
Mrs. Duniway was at first little en-
barrassed. Before launching into hersub-
ject, she gave a rapid history of her
twenty-five years of Oregon life, and
spoke feelingly of her three years pub
lie experience. The audience was one
of the most brilliant, intelligent and
fashionable ever convened in Salem;
and the speaker, elegantly attired in a
fashionable suit of black, appeared per-
sonification of her golden dreams OF
womanhood, and what 1t ought to be.
1t is useless for me to attempt a synOp-
sis of the impromptu address. The ex-
ordium, the argument, the peroration
and poem were alike original, beautiful
striking, bold, eloquent, persuasive,
commanding, ideal, logical and quaint.
For more than one hour the audience sat
spell bound. a deep hush was upon the
people, broken only at intervals by the
exit Of some vapld-minded voter,Iwhom
the lady was leading beyond his depth,
aud so he would run away.
AS the lecture has been monographs
cally reported by Mr.. Cameron, and
will in due time appear in the columns
of theNEw NORTHWEST, it is not neces-
sary that should pursue 1t further.
Suffice it to say that the great expec-
tations of the exactiug multitude were
far more than met; and after very lib
eral contribution, and another piece OF