The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-08-28
POSSIBLE INJUSTICE.

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The women engaged in the great
struggle for equal rights are called by
various names, among which "man-
haters" is the most suggestive. But
we have never known of even the most
rabid of tho so-called "shrieking sister
hood" conveying the bad impression Of
the genus masculine that he himself
sometimes unwittingly conveys. Hear,
for instance, a man descanting upon the
various occupations that are everywhere
filed by men to the exclusion Of wOm-
en-. The chief objections we hear are
not that women cannot discharge the
duties OF the situation as well as men,
but because such position will bring
them in daily contact with men.
Their talk upon the subject amounts
in substance to this: "We are not in a
business way fitted for your associates"
Protectors Of women, they proclaim
themselves in one breath, and in the
next declare, "You cannot approach and
associate with us In business way
without contamination.
Many women have been compelled
''to beard the lion in his den," In order
10 keep the wolf from the door," and
strange to say, they have not found this
self-same King Of Beasts nearly so dam
gerous as he fain would have them be-
lieve. His roar, after all, was much
more fearful than the harmless state of
his claws would warrant him In max
ing.
1t has not been so many years since IL
was thought impossible, or at least a
fearful breach Of propriety for girls,
to work in printing offices, because, for
sooth, they would be compelled to work
side by side with men, (this was the OBJ
lection Of men, not of strong-minded
women,l and yet, perchance, these same
men would have felt II an insult of the
NEST unfOrgivable kind, had any one
intimated that either of them was moi
honorable and sufficient protection for O
young lady on her way home from 8
party on the darkest night Preposter
Gus, Indeed, that a man might thus at
tend woman in the role of protector
and yet she not engage in the same hon
Orable occupation by his side in tn,
broad light Of day, without injury to he
good name. But necessity havinl
compelled hundreds of women 10 z,
forth and earn their bread in occupa
tions erewhile monopolized by men
they have found that this great bug.
bear, insult and rough treatment from
men, is but a.man Of straw, and that in
point of fact an independent, earnest
working woman is not nearly so apt to
be insulted, or because of her sex de-
graded, as a weak, uncertain creature,
who is pecuniarily at the mercy Of men.
So we proclaim that men in this in
stance did themselves injustice, they
really were not the roaring lions they
avowed themselves to be. This they
now admit in a measure, and women
engage in many occupations with men
without deiilement of character or dread
Of such calamity.
Having once in the way Of employ
ment dealt with this bugbear, and found
him but a man Of straw, women are not
now so easily frightened when theil
brethren attempt to keep them from the
ballot-bOx by setting up his imposing
presence. 1t is in vain that men ex'
claim, "You will become contaminated
BY your association with u.s." "Hot
will meet with insult at the polls if yoI
attempt to vote;' "Men will no longe
respect you if you mingle with them il
public Affairs Women, having Iearne,
wisdom from experience, continue thei
demands for the ballot, utterly refusing
to believe men TO be the monsters the,
declare themselves to be. The straw be
meath the outward habiliments OF th
supposed man betrays him to even th
most willfully blind. The bad impres
sion which men try to make Of them
selves is entirely without avail; wome
will persist in believing the majority {
them gentlemen, despite their owt
warnings and declarations to the con
trary.