The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-28

test between right and might. All SEN
sible persons must see the need of Wig
liant watch against tyranny; it is an
act of wisdom to combat an encroach-
ment which, if not speedily checked,
will place the poor women of this nation
upon a level with the same class of women
of Europe. Women, by the ecclesiasti-
cal powers, are often represented as the
mother of all ill. Then again, her gall
liant lords claim her to be too good and
pure, too meek and frail, to battle with
the weighty responsibilities of her po-
ltical freedom. Therefore she must re-
main as the ivy, twining about the oak.
Verify, woman's wise advisers use
many strange and adverse ways to con-
vince them of their generous and manly
intentions. But alasI what is to be-
come of the poor ivies when the once
sturdy oaks have fallen as victims to
the many mistOrtunes that betide them?
Is not poor ivy's present condition far
more weighty than would be her politi-
cal sponsibiities But take birds
eye view of the majority of those ivies'
condition. We will find them working
i'll every avenue open to them, for what
ever their employers will grudgingly
pay them. SOme are of those who were
tenderly and delicately reared, and are
now toiling to support poor miserable
children of drunken fathers. Some are
those who are maidens wholly subjected
to arbitrary laws.
Men of our nation talk much about
the rights of man, yet ignore the fact
that woman is of mankind. But ignore
as they will, the facts are still the same.
Woman still remains of mankind.
Hence, nature makes wOman's rights
identical with mans rights. Hence it
is impossible for man to refuse to en-
franchise woman, and grant to her all
the immunities that are guaranteed to
all male citizens, and still hold on to a
claim to honesty aud honor, unless they
persist, as the Honorable Bradshaw of
Yamhill did, in our legislative hall, on
that auspiciOus occasion when the suf-
frage bill was killed by an utter disre-
gard of the right of petitioners. Such
lawmakers still persist in holding on
to the same old barbaric customs and
creeds of the Mosaic dispensation. All
men and women must cease to accuse
God of being guilty of establishing
slavery, or cease to prate about the
rights of man; for if God established
slavery, man has no rights except those
he gains by might! But the majority
of sO-called protectors are so welded to
their pet theories and, more than all
else, to their unbounded selfishuess,
that it is difficult to move them in the
| right direction. However, until a full
measure of Justice is meted out to all, it
| is the duty of all the advocates of hu-
man rights to labor cheerfully on until
success crowns their efforts.
l think there are none who will deny
that the advancement and growth of
our country owe as much to woman as
to man. Yet men who WELD their
power over women regardless of Justice
do presume and declare that women are
weak, silly creatures, whom man must
protect. This they do 10y holding them
in dependent state of self-support or
servitude.
The mighty Brigham Young, ex-Gov-
ernOr of Utah, plays priest and prophet
and tells women that their salvation de-
pends on obedience to his mandates,
aud there is not particle more sham
in Brigham's teachings than there is
in those of greater and lesser lights, for
| they are about on par, so far as Justice
is taught. We see this government still
wink at and tolerate polygamy, and
how soon we may see the system put
into practice elsewhere, and Bible
harems established outside of Utah, we
know not. Mormonism is only needed
to complete the subjugatiOn of woman.
We have all grown familiar with the
laudatOry cOmmendatiun which our
forefathers have received on the many
past anniversaries of mans independ-
ence day, and are familiar with the his
tory of wOman's struggles in those days;
struggles that proved how all true
women valued home of their own;
and at the Centennial birthday of the
nation, | deem it our right and pleas
ant privilege to pay honor to our ances-
/ trail mothers. True, their brave deeds
belong mainly to the cOuntry's unwrit-
ten history, yet mention is sometimes
made of their herOism, patriotism, and
devotion. They were ever ready with
property or labor to aid the cause. And
tradition, rather than history, records
for them many heroic deeds. They
would run all manner of risks; would
violate the laws of fortified cities by
smuggling goods for the use of the
armies, and were ever ready to prepare
food for their use when possible. They
furnished clothing which they manu-
factured by hand, shearing sheep, wash
ing and picking the wool, carding and
spinning the same, and weaving and
tailoring for the soldiers. They prepared
cotton and linen from the seed to the
garment, titled the soil the same as
man, teaming, clearing land, cutting
timber and harvesting grain, with
which the armies were afterward sup
piled. Indeed, they would persist in
disobeying the injunction, "Obey thy
husband - for they would supply the
soldiers whenever their Tory husbands
backs were turned. And when a levy
for camp blankets was made, they would
cheerfully hand over their last blankets,
though well they knew that they must,
throughout the bitter cold nights, sup
ply the sleeping apartments with fires
for lack of said blankets. Many in-
stances are reported where women will
! ingly parted with their last blanket and
last piece of cloth, whilst the old grand
mothers would hand out their wel-knit
socks, rolls of linen, lints, salves, and
various herbs and medicinal roots of
which the soldiers were in much need,
while their Tory husbands wished the
armies and Congress in the fiery lake
! below.
All honor, then, to the brave mothers
of 1776, and may their daughters yet,
and speedily, enjoy the full freedom to
which they are entitled by this record
of heroic deeds. And when that event
auspicious era-shall have occurred