The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-06-02
FAR-PBTOHGD THEORIES:
1E EDITOR OF THE New NORTHWEST:

To THE EDITOR OF THE NEW NORTHWEST:
In times past, when our brethren who
held absolute control of the newspaper
world saw fit to lecture women upon
any subject which they chose, we were
compelled to submit to their criticisms
and aspersions in silence; but thanks to
your energy and bravery, women have
now a channel through which they can
speak and obtain respectful listeners.
That this immense advantage is seen
and appreciated, is evidenced by the
sharp replies that from time to time ap-
pear in your columns from women who
are presumptuous enough to believe
that they know thing or two about
their own business.
We find the following sentiment 60
ing the rounds, and credited to the Ore
gon CiurcEnlan, which is a fair sample
of what an arrogant individual,' who
edits Christian paper and fails to OBJ
serve the golden rule, says of women:
1t is the first duty of woman to be lady
The woman who says that this is making
much ado about nothing is the woman who
will accOst you by name when you enter car
in a tone that introduces you to every person
in it, and makes you wish that the part she oc-
cupies had run Off at the last switch. She is
the woman who, under pretext of conversing
with one or two friends, informs the whole
company of her views on wOman's rights and
her relations with her husband. Good breed
| ing is good sense. Ignorance of etiquette is Of
ten the result of circumstances; but bad man
ners is immortality. Self-possessed, aggressive
coarseness of demeanor merits that mild form
of restraint called imprisonment for life"
Now, it is but just that each individ-
ual shall be held responsible for his or
her own actions, and no sensible or just
person will for a moment consider these
wholesale attacks upon the department
of women as a class in any other light
than that of a gross violation of the
"good manners" with which the article,
from which the above quotation is made,
is OstentatiOusly headed.
Even ministers, however much they
may deplore the shortcomings of their
ministerial brethren, do not seem 10 re-
gard it as necessary to feel humiliated
over the matter and mourn the same in
sackcloth and ashes, and why it is that
they must consider women in general
as humiliated by the inconsiderate acts
of their sisters, is, confess, foggy
problem to me.
That there are women whose action:
in stage-cOach, passenger-car, or steam
boat, are ill-considered, we all know
but large majority of women behave
themselves with becoming mOdesty anC
dignity in these places, and to single ou
the occasional one who does not as al
example and publish grave diatrib'
upon her actions, holding, by implica
tion, at least, the entire sex responsible
and declaring them all humiliatet
, thereby, is contrary to truth and honor
, 1t is perfectly impossible for anything
, which is ennobling to one sex to be de
grading to the other. Does Christ, th
great examplar, make any difference il
I the conduct of the sexes?
= All teachings that tend to make or al
. low boys to regard themselves as priv
! legged lords, in whom immoralities ar
: tolerated, because of their sex, are per
= nicious; and to teach girls that be
t cause they are girls they must not d
r thus and so, is likewise pernicious, fos
( tering in secret that which should b
r eradicated by proper and fair treat
y ment. MRS. j. A. JOHNS.
r Salem, May 10, 1876.