The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-10-06

in the war, so nobly in freeing the
slave; in the name of the women of
America, whom you have treated as
chattels, but who helped you in the
hour of your country's peril, and whom
you have placed beneath the ignorant
| foreigner, the heathen Chinee, and
classed with the idiot and the criminal,
give us chance to be heard. Give US
what we ask as a right.
Followed by a recitation from Tenny-
son, by Mrs. J. DeVore Johnson. Very
beautifully done, and very apropos.
SPEECH BY MRS. H. A. LoUGHARY.
She takes up the thread Mrs. Thomp-
son has dropped. She asks: Do women
want the ballot? Many persons think
they do not. Let me assure you it is a
mistake. I have been travelling over
the country, trying to perform the part
assigned me, and have had private
talks with many women, and hundreds
to-day in their homes are asking for
this privilege. Hundreds of names of
the most intelligent women of the
State are on the petitions sent up to the
Legislature, asking it as a right, not
alone because it is just, but because, in
denying it to them, you are violating
the first principles of free government.
In common with men, women did what
they could to sustain these principles
, HDrinpr ha CIoyvarxy 10 InoI Int &,
the nation safe? Mr.. Nesmith, in his
speech in Portland on the Fourth of
July, said: awe stand to-day purified
by this fiery trial (of the war;, and this
great nation is purer and better than
: ever BEFORE" No doubt it is. But
where, we ask, are the twenty millions
of women who are now asking freedom
at your hands ? Before we can talk of
purity, fear we shall have to be put
into the crucible again in some form.
In that long speech of Mr.. Nesmith's,
for men, to men, and in honor of men,
what, 1 ask, did he say for women /?
: He vOuchsafed to US little prayer of
perhaps two minutes in length, and
kindly asked God Almighty to do for US
, what he would not do 'himself-"God
bless the ladies'-we suppose with such
, blessings as he asks for himself, and
f such as men now enjoy. Our laws are
= imperfect. We are not living under
Divine law. Would to God that we
+ were, for then we might hope for justice
q Immediately.
: In Corvallis an eminent lawyer came
I out to hear me, expecting, as you did
e last night, gentlemen, to have a little
# fun. He talked little on both sides o.
the question. He said, finally, "ThC
s ballot for women must come. 1t is in
t evitable in the worlds progress. Goo
}. speed the day W I answered the hon
/ ored judge: "You are willing to pray fo
|. it, sir; are you willing to give it p
We are not going to be discouraged
d though we may sometimes feel blue
s. We are going to incorporate into thr
s. minds of cur daughters land why no
/ our sons p these mighty sentiments
and they will grow. We are denieC
the privilege of meeting the Legislature
as body to present our arguments
= We may not meet in that fine State
e house, which is an honor to our State
J. and which taxes On. our property ant
n the proceeds of our labor have helped t.
build, and we must wait another tw
t. years before we can have an honorabl
N hearing; but away up the "Hill Diff
Guilty" is a gate-the gate of Justice
y and we are climbing up, and will hol
IS every step we gain. We saw Mont
ct gomery Queens circus the other day
" On one end of a carriage was lady
e. and on the other a fierce lookinj
o. leopard. We could not at first see tn
chain that bound him, but, as we cam
Id nearer, we could discern it. Now
lie ladies, as we pass up the hill, we sha
find many of the lions chained If W
ut are not permitted to go up this time
a. though our voices may be stilied i
III death before another such an oppOl
tunity offers, there will be others t
es take our places-there will be anothe
to time, Richelieu says: "In the lexico
to of youth there is no such word as fail
ne Look upon this table covered with pa
OF pers). believe it looks little like tn
at legislative hall. 1t is filled with pet
er tions and letters from the very bes
men and women of the State. And, i
r conclusion, 1 can say feel proud to aC
ed dress many Of the best men of the Stat,
and thank you for the privilege.
80 MR.. CHEEsMAN, OF LAKE COUNTY,
Was called for at the close ofthisspee
. He stated that he felt weary after tn
labors of the day. He would indulge
10 a little pleasantly, and ask the lady wh
&c preceded him if the gentleman fC
b whom he voted for Senator, but wh
was defeated, prayed for the women,
that was not doing pretty well for
Democrat?