The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-01-02
WASHINGTON TERRITORY CORRR-
SP0NDEN0E.


Dear 1Lrs. DlniUdy%I have never
before felt such a necessity for the friends
of Woman Suffrage to be up and doing.
have been more impressed with this
necessity since reading the speech of
Judge Grant, of Davenport, Iowa, at
the Scott county Fair. Among other
things he spoke of the growing evils
of monopolies, and particularly of
the expressions and extortions of the
railroad monopoiies of Iowa. He read
to them the form of law regulating
the fare, ETC., on railroads in Iowa, and
then said: ''Do you draw up this law,
now, and submit it to every candidate
for Office in the State, no matter about
his party associations, and tell him if he
does not vote for that law without dot
ting an 'r or crossing 't' you will
thank him with your ballot at thei1ext
election. Don't give your most trusted
friends any discretion; nail your fee-bill
to your colors, and let the politicians
know that under that right alone they
can conquer. But 1 hear somebody
say, the Courts will declare such a law
unconstitutional; what then p
Some one in the crowd answered, 1--WE
will change the Courts"
"Yes,n said Grant, "you have an
swered. Change the Judges, change the
Constitution, change the whole frame
work of civil government, or abandon
your organization"
Now, that is the way the men do it,
when they have work to do. They go
at it with a will, and they accomplish it;
but they have a power in their hands
that we do not at present possess. They
can, as Judge Grant expresses it,
"'thank them with their vote" which
we are unable to do just now; but we
can nevertheless control many votes
that will be cast by the privileged class.
We are already becoming a power in the
land, and that power is becoming ac-
Observation-Disclosures unwillingly-by
the two great political parties that are
struggling against it. Did they fully
realize how futile are their attempts to
save themselves from being dashed over
the cataract of political ehicanery and
oppression and disappearing in the
abysses of the "filthy pool' of corrup-
ton, they would willingly seize the
only means that would save them-the
strong cable of universal suffrage and
equality that is being thrown TO them by
the friends of human progression.
But the second thought is that it may
not be best to try to save the present
political parties. Let them go down
and disappear. They have become too
old and too behind-hand TO perceive the
means Of safety, and too badly diseased
by the exeesses of unbridled sway to ever
again become sound and healthy. Solet
them go. Let oblivion cover them; and
let new party be organized-a party
thatshall recognize no sex in the citizens,
and whose motto shall be equal rights,
privileges and immunities to all citi-
zens, irrespective of sex; party that
will put candidates in the field pledged
to these principles. Then, as Judge
Grant said, we can mail our fee bill to
our colors," and if they do not stand up
to the mark, We can "'thank' them
with our vote,n and let them stay at
home. And if, to accomplish our OBJ
ject-the exercise of our right to vote
it becomes necessary to change the
Judges, the Constitution, or even the
Government, we shall be in aposition to
do so.
Do hear somecry, "Revolution, Rev
olutionI Very well, my friends Is It
any worse for women, when ground
down with grevious expressions, to seek
TO right their wrongs, even though they
resort to revolution, than it is for men
Oppressions, persisted in, invaribly iead
TO revolution, and the greater the OPP
preston, the greater the commissions
that lead to its overthrow. II 1t Is right
for the anti-monopolists to overthrow tue
Government in order to break the power
of capital, why will it not be Justas right
con-. an act in the women to do the same,
If thew cannot get their rights by
n,iI,Ier means? Then let us have a
marty pledged to the enfranehisement of
women. and let no candidate be brought
forward but such as are fully committed