The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-04-03
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.


sents itself to give you some nasty jot-
tiugs of my works and wanderings.
Those of you who have never tried the
task of hurrying to and fro in the earth
upon such a mission can have little idea
of the difficulties attendant upon con-
Meeting editorial duties with the thous-
and other calls upon time, strength and
ability.
Arriving in San Francisco on the 18th
inst, I was waited upon by the Suffrage
Committee of the State Association, who
Immediately began active preparations
for work that will keep me till May lst.
A temperance meeting was held in the
Presbyterian Tabernacle on the 10th,
which addressed, by invitation, as did
many others. The meeting was largely
attended. Mrs. Sears, lady who moves
in the highest circles in society and the
churches, read an able address upon her
experience in circulating temperance
petitions among the rum-sellers, sup
plementing this with an exhortation to
those having control of the churches to
utilize the great costly edifices that
loom so uselessly in the atmosphere fOrso
many idle hours each week, by opening
the doors as constantly for the use Of the
homeless and unoccupied as the saloon
doors are kept open, that the stranger
within our gates may be tempted from
the allurements of wickedness into the
abodes of pleasantness and purity. She
urged that amusements of some kind
are necessary; and that every church ia
the city contained unoccupied rooms
where light and warmth and books and
music should be furnished constantly,
and the the Christian women should not
be ashamed to go out into the highways
and hedges, if necessary, to bid the wan
derer, the tempted, the desolate, to come
forth from the vicinity of the lurking
places of evil and enter the genial at
mOsphere of a grand domestic iufu-
ence.
After three hours session the meet
/ ing adjourned to Union Hall for the
evening exercises. 1 was invited to
speak, but was too badly fatigued to at
tend. The Chronicle made merry GRIM
aces over the whole matter, but the
reign of terror once exercised over the
eonsciences OF the people by the scurril-
lity of the press has lost its sting and the
thunders of newspaper nonsense have
no longer power TO 6eter the onward
march Of the ages.
On Sunday evening had the pleasure
of giving Temperance lecture before a
large audience in the Powell street
Methodist Church, DIR. Wythe presiding.
The meeting was one of those harmoni-
Gus, genial, home-like seasons of song
and speech and supplication which are
ever grateful to the hearts Of all who
love their neighbors as themselves. DIR.
Wythe looks older than when We knew
him in Portland, but he loses nothing
in spirituality OF face and geniality OF
manner as he treads the Masters high
ways on his way to the invisible bourne
towards which we are all Fastening.
On Monday evening / addressed a
large eaudiencein the Presbyterian Taber-
nacle, the subject chosen by n COM
mittee being "Woman's Duty, Capacity
and Influence in Suppressing Intemper-
ance." DIR. Cunningham, the pastor, was
absent, but every needed arrangement
was made to render the meeting a sue
cess. 1 shall not soon forget the busy,
obliging sexton and the sunny faces ol
appreciative friends.
Arriving in San Jose upon the 2ith,
found that owing TO the shortness of thu
notice given the appointment was not
sufficiently circulated to make a sue.
cessfGl meeting for that evening.
The Santa Clara Woman Suffrage So.
ciety held a business session in the af
a ternoon, which | attended, and wa,
$ much gratified with the interest ant
. wide-awake enthusiasm of its members
e who are composed of the first circles o
4 society in the city.
Mrs. 5. l.. Knox, whose elegant hos
piiality l am enjoying during my so
jOurn, n lady of much wealth and infiu
ence, has spent, with her associates, ;
: month in the Legislature, engineerin,
a bill for making women eligible to ed
ucational offices in the State. The bill
passed in spite Of much opposition, ana
> | wish that every reader of the NEW
I, NORTHWEST could hear her read an,
: comment, in her own peculiar, pleasan
way, upon the speeches of sundry "Hon
orable" fossils who opposed its passage
Had time, l should dearly love to max
: copious extracts from her journal" /
is unique, taking and splendid. Pit,
but every man who failed to do his dut,
; as freeman in his capacity of Legisla
!. tor could have chance to study it.
neglected, in beginning this letter
to state that my headquarters when il
San Francisco are at the hospitabl
home OF Mrs. NJ. A. Lewis, President G
the San Francisco County Woman Sui
frage Association. This lady, thoug
an invalid, posseses a remarkable vigo
- of intellect, accompanied by decision c
" character and suavity of manner rarel
blended in one individual Her hus
baud, genial, whole-souled gentleman
+ is proud Of his wife and the importau
position she holds.
O. On the evening of the 18th, lecture
e in San Jose in the Methodist churc
e upon "Woman's Work in the Temper
e ance Reform TO a fair audience. an