The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1875-09-24
TRIALS OF A "PROMIsOUOUS >
WIFE-HUNTBR.

and doth tale of woe unfold. A certain
section of the Oregon land law having
completely demoralized" him, he
added another to the ranks of the soft
pated brigade in their unseemly race
through the counties of "Yamhill and
Polk' in the year of grace, 1858, propos-
ing matrimony indiscriminately to tear
ful widows of fortnight, and little girls
busy with mud pies; and now, at ma
ture age, he not only has the cheek to
minutely describe the pell-mell chase of
which he, mounted on 'tall bay mule"
led the van, but he possesses also the eff
frontery to boast of it, and the hardi-
hood to attempt to palliate it.
'Utterly demoralized by the land
law, or the climate, or something else,"
is the testimony offered in palliation of
the self-confessed fact that during one
entire year he, mounted on mule back,
gave matrimonial chase to the women
of at least two counties of the State.
The spectacle presented by a man SO vi
olently enamored of quarter-section of
house with proposal of marriage upon
his lips in order to secure the real estate
coveted, is too ridiculous to contemplate.
AS if to tax credulity to the utmost,
our correspondent, after describing his
persistent and impartial manner of
wooing, and supplementing this with
the information that he 'gladly got the
first one that would have him." declares
that his subsequent iIl-favored marriage
was founded in love. "a worshiper of
woman's lovelinesss ~ A worshiper
of quarter section of land, we should
say, If we were to judge the merits of
the case from the testimony of the only
witness.
Marriage is honorable in ALL" but
the man who, regarding it merely from
an animal standpoint, drives right and
left in search of a wife, proposing matri- |
mony to every woman who treats him |
with courtesy, is a nuisance equaled |
only in contemptibility by a woman
who regards every man who approaches
her in the light of a possible "catch."
Regarding the question as to "violated |
law" the land law which is arraigned
as the primal cause of all the trouble
our correspondent hints at, is fully ex-
onerated from blame; for never did 10y
al subject ride harder with a message in
his mouth, than did this witness, in
order to fill the condition the law i'm
posed. "Ben Franklin's law" regarding
early marriages will do for those who
regard women according to their ability
70 add to the census report. The thous-
ands of women ''old before their time,"
and the yet other thousands to whom
the grave gave untimely shelter, are
sufficient answers to the assertion of
one selfish sensualist, who founded his
theory upon the belief that woman was
made for man.
That the business husband so fire.
quently outgrows the plodding house
wife," is no argument for an unnatural
discrepancy in age, but strong one in
favor Of allowing the wife equal oppor-
tunities with the husband to enlarge
her mind-not warp and dwarf it with
petty cares.
We are sorry indeed if even one
woman has read the New NORTHWEST
with 30 little judgment and dIscrimina-
tion as to practice the opposite of what
it teaches. Having, however, no power
to control or increase the mental capac-
ity or moral stamina either of "Demo-
IN 1ci1 l. i
we shall not argue the point. We know
that the Holy Scriptures can be and
frequently are perverted and made to
sustain the DEVILS own work, by his
imps and emissaries.
The idea that mems laws and the Gus
toms Of society alone prevent women
from rushing into prostitution, is not
new, nor does it belong particularly or
exclusively to Democrats" 1t is ad-
vanced, and has been for years, by men
sin whom all evil fancies cling like SER
pents' eggs together" who never look
upon woman but with libidinous eyes,
and see in her but acreature who should
be subject to mans will in all things.
Men who will stand upon the street, or
congregate in a saloon and declare "thev
are looking for numerous victims" to
follow in the wake of an unfaithful wife,
are paragons of propriety, certainly,
and eminently fitted to expound st.
Paul, define woman's sphere, and de-
wise plans for keeping her in the path
Of rectitude.
These lepers in sanity garb never tire
Of descanting upon the virtue and mod
esty Of women, while using every art
TO triumph over one, and trample the
other in the dust. "Vile hypocrites ac-
cursedp are they who with this specious
cry Of protection" think to hold
women in social bondage. Naught but
the foul fancy of one lost to all virtue
and manliness could whelp so black
an insult to womanhood.
''The fortunate B. c. Dr. begs leave .
TO state for the information of this cor
respondent, that he owned and held a
half-section Of land In his own right, :
and needed not a wife to perfect his title
Al. I