The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-05-29
Michigan Press on Suffrage.

I
Next week we hope to publish full
particulars of the important annual
meeting of the Michigan Woman Suf-
frage Association, which took place on
the 9th and eth inst, to announce
systematic canvass of the State. Mean
while we will give brief quotations
from some of the friendly newspapers Of
that State.
The Ypsilanti Commercial says:
A gentleman asked Us, a day or two
since, "How came you TO favor Wom-
ans Suffrage ~ Our reply was this:
Our mother, in early life, imbued US
with the idea. An ardent anti-slavery,
| Temperance woman, she longed to see
/ the day when the enfranehised women
of this country could rise in the might
of their moral power, and vote down
the numerous evils. Now, in Heaven,
we have no doubt she looks down ap-
prOvingly upon our efforts to endow the
women of our State with that mighty
power for the nations good the ballot.
The Grand Haven Herald says:
The Grand Rapids Eagle man has been
taking u dismal view of the Woman
Suffrage question. He has vivid inn
agination of caudle lectures, and Madam
Grundy, and has succeeded in working
himself into condition of fear, threat
ening to drive dom estic peace from
every hearth-stone in the Stat Ashould
we place in the hands of wOfnen the
right to vote. This q terrible position
to place an able-bodied man in, and we
extend our sympathy. After reading
/ his article on domestic happiness, we
cannot but think him wholly unac-
quainted with the business. We place
/ him in the category with the Judge
who asked the woman If she executed
/ the instrument without fear or eompul-
sion from her husband; to whom she
replied: "Fear! COmpulsion! He COM
pei mel You don't know me, Judge"
! The Midland Times says.
The advocates of Woman Suffrage are
preparing for an active canvass of the
State this summer, and the friends of
the measure we think Will be found
more numerous than is generally sup
posed. In various localities where no
organization had previously been ef-
fected, steps are now being taken to or
ganiZe county societies. If the friends
of the measure desire to be represented
at the meeting at Lansing, they must
organize at once, as the State COnven-
ton is to be held next Thursday.
The Niles Democrat loosely says:
| c. C. Allison, of the Cassopolis Demo
crot, comes out in favor of the Woman
| Suffrage cause in the new Constitution
of this State. Chris wants q wife, which
fact renders further explanation unnee-
! essary.
Whereupon the Cassopolis Democrat
replies as follows:
| If, as the anti-Woman Suffragists
claim, majority of women are opposed
/ to the measure, we do not see clearly
how advocating it would increase our
chances matTimonially. If we ever
should marry, we hope to secure a wife
who is as intelligent as the three million
plantation darkies, the freshly-natural-
/ lied foreigners or the untutored abOrig-
| ines who sustain no tribal relations.
Men who are married, and whose wives
fall below these classes in fitness to cast
the ballot intelligeDtly, may have sort
/ OF an excuse for opposing the measure.
/ We trust brother Horn is not thus sit
uated, but as he has not yet put himself
on record, we are unable to tell.
The Ypsilanti Commercial notes the
fact that the Mayor of that city is an
ardent Suffragist, and says:
We are glad to record the fact, for it
on single issue, but in all that pertains
to the political or moral interests of our
country. He has become convinced
that the future veal of the nation de-
pends upon the sanctifying and purify
ing influence of women's votes and
presence at the polls.
The intelligent women of this country
demand the ballot. Should a false SEN
timentalism, on the one hand, and the
lowest degradation, the most debasing
pursuits, the scrapings of Gods creation
on the other, unite in shutting them
out?
From now until our last issue prior to
the election next fall, we shall labor
with all our might by pen and speech to
secure to the mothers, wives, sisters and
daughters of our noble State the right Of
suffrage, to place them on an equality
with their fathers, husbands, brothers
and sons. Woman Suffrage is surely
coming. Why may not Michigan have
the honor of being the first State to
adopt it?
DIR. J. a. B. Stone, of Kalamazoo,
Chairman Of the Executive Committee
Of the Association, writes as follows in
regard to the Convention:
There are three subjects, to which we
wish to call attention in connection
with the annual meeting of the Michigan
State WOman's Suffrage Association at
Lansing, May 9th, to organize a can
vass Of the State.
First-Be sure to be present yourself,
and induce rs many as possible to be
present also. We want it should be q
mass meeting.
SecoGd-Be prepared at that meeting
TO report the names of as many active
and efficient laborers in the cause in
each county township as possible, for
future correspondence and cooperation
in the campaign.
Third-Please take up a subscription
in your own vicinity for paying lectur-
ers and other expenses incident to the
campaign, and report at that time. We
want to know how much it will be safe
to lay out. We can carry on a great,
and probably successful warfare, if we
only have the sinews of war.
i SERVED HIM RIGHT.-A prominent
citizen and Democrat at that, at the
early stage of the existence Of the NEW
| NORTHWEST newspaper, subscribed
therefor and paid his coin. In time the
paper came, and the lady of the house
glanced at it and then carefully did it