The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-05-22


could gain by my presence.
Allow me to express the hope that the
proceedings of the Convention will be
characterized by harmony, intelligent
zeal, pronounced discretion, and an
infiexible purpose to sink all personal
feelings of discord, minor matters, and
side issues generally, and move onward
to the attainment of the full fruition of
our common labor and common hope.
The eyes of the people are upon you.
The war that we are waging for the
abolition Of Woman Slavery, is the
most gallant, the most chiyalrous, the
grandest struggle, that the ages have yet
witnessed, or that the pen of the histo-
rian shall ever record. 1t is the legiti-
mate development of the principles of
our Revolutionary Declaration of Inde-
pendence.
We have no cause to be dis
heartened at the seemingly slow progress
we have hitherto made, but have every
reason to be hopeful for the future.
Great reforms are not the work of day,
but often the growth of centuries. But
i'm this cause the signs of the times indi-
cate that the pioneering is about fin
ished. Our opponents have reached
their last ditch. For myself neither de-
traction, nor calumny, nor slander, nor
misconstruetion of motives, nor social
ostracism, nor aught that may come,
shall muffie my pen, or still my voice,
or paralyze my arm, in doing what l
can for Womsnis Acknowledgement.
am satisfied to serve as a private for
life in that grand army Of human free
dom, and receive as 4 reward only the
president consciousness, that when our
banners Of victory (as they surely will
flash in the sunlight of a not distant
future, then will our men be purer, our
women nObler, and all those forms Of
vice and immortality that are the legiti-
mate results of woman's subsection, such
as prostitution, intemperance, gambling
and corruption in high and low places,
will no longer pollute the life and tester
to the core our social system.
Yours for the right,
c. C. STEVENS.
San Jose, April %, 1874.
Mrs. MaryJ COUins-Dear Maddnl:-
Your circular has been received, with
an invitation to attend the Convention
in San Francisco, 29th of April, accord
ing to the call. The cause Of Temper
ance, morality, peace and progress, is to
receive consideration, as well as the
grand central idea Of "woman's Olsen
thrallment' from bonds OF inequality,
socially, politically and industrially.
These are grand and great questions
and require clean hands and free heart:
to present them as from the fountain Oi
wisdom and love.
! We never can have true morality
peace and progress so long as intemper-
/ ance blights our many homes, and sac.
rifices so many lives. Intemperance is
carried into the marts of trade, and also
in the world of fashion. IL makes gour.
mands of our men, and gilded toys Of
women. The spirit Of intemperanee i:
found in all spheres and conditions oi
society, and based upon a selfish animal
plane. 'Tis very hard for the world to
learn the true principles of Temperance
but the word progress" will teach man
true relations to Natural law, and to one
IonotIor Uf,a srf1'-ac,o o,asf;on ,,.o,,lI
be failure, were it not governed by
the virtues mentioned in your call
With Temperance, morality, truth anC
Justice, woman can redeem the earth o.
its gross immoralities, peculations, and
unbelievers. The Government would
soon be free from alcoholic blood money
and other National abuses, if womeT
were only granted the inalienable righ
of using the ballot. No "LOcal Option
Law would have passed the California
, Legislature, if it had not been for th,
moral heroism Of mothers and maidens
, standing on the pavements and pleading
, with man at the bar of God, for a cessa
, ton of the unholy traffic. Such
: power and influence for good this worl
, lof ours never bebeld, and b.
woman, who is claimed by man to b
| too daintiIy reared to attend the ballot
: box, or to take an active part in Ma
| tional affairs, too long a mistaken nc
I ton. Men, and women too, are jus
: awaking from the dream of the past
, and with lightning speed progressin
T to higher and truer conditions. Justic
. and equality is written in characters {
living fire upon the scroll of time; an
if woman is denied her rights and priv
Ieges this year, the time will certainl
come at no distant day when man an
woman will know no distinction i
law and equality, in public, social, Q
private life. These Suffrage Convention
will cease with the cause. Temperanc
Societies will be only records in history
The Government and people, free fror
its blighting curse, will stand aghast s
the present time. The National Treas
ury is filled with license money, and th
whole country is public bar-room. Th
= grave-yards and ssylums are filled wit
g victims, aud to correct and reform thes
4 abuses, we place our faith in Woma
J, Suffrage. Woman, freed from party cree
e or platform, would adopt the platform {
i moral, social, and Governmental reform
: and the good times hoped for woul
y soon dawn upon our fair and beautifl
land, and peace, plenty, morality, an
e practical religion, would smile With