The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-05-26
WOMAN'S RIGHTS---NO. 8.
BY BILLY BUSTER.

One more example of my idea of
a wife aud mother-Mrs. Henry Clay.
What noble example for emulation /!
See her at home faithfully attending her
household duties, carrying on the farm at
Ashland, raising her children, and max
ing butter for the Lexington market
whilst her noble husband made laws for
the country at the Capitol, and love to
the beautiful women who thronged the
Presidential parlors. How generous he
ever was to the poor! How profuse in
spending his money II was all neces-
sary to be done, for he was politician
one of natures noblemen What a
splendid life he must have led, know
ing, even in his glory and splen-
dor, that back there in his "Ken-
lucky home" one faithful, virtuous
heart was toiling, economizing, wear
ing Kentucky jean, cutting and making
garments for his negroes and rearing
his children, not even manifesting any
objection to what you might term her
''drudgery life." 1t was sufficient for
her to learn that her husband was a
great man. How noble that woman
appeared when his gay dream of ambi-
tion was over, and he, sick and dying,
went back to Ashland-to that ''domes-
tic drudge" as you may call her, but to
whom l would give the holy name of
lODe. Then she ministered to his
wants, and comforted him. He had no
other to look to, for his children were,
as you might say, degenerate race OF
beings, only One-young Harry, killed
at Buena Vista-giving any promise
The rest were lunatics and gamblers
The old statesman was filed with sor-
row, disappointment, and grief, but thai
noble wife, who had never had the ad-
vautages of all early education, who
was never in society, who never as
pired higher than helpmeet, who haC
not been blessed with the companion.
ship of her lord during their married
life, who allowed him to enjoy alone
(as she should), all the pleasures anC
pomp, gayety, and fashion of society
when he came back to her broken anC
subdued, bowed down with dissipation
and humbled in spirit, found her still
ready to receive him.
Examples such as these might be mul
tiplied, but it is useless. They all go t.
show that women should be conten
with what they have, and not strive 70
things never intended for them. Now
do not put my opposition to the righ
of woman to have an equal chanc
with man on the ground of want of in
telligence. That is silly twaddle, an,
J can only catch fools; for every on
knows that women, as a class, are jus
as Intelligent as men when they hav
the same opportunities. A schoc
teacher will tell you that the girls i
his school are just as susceptible G
receiving instructions in the soil
branches as the boys. Neither can
say that a woman should not vote, be
: cause, if she did, she would have t
work the roads, act as juryman, all
bear arms, if necessary. We all know
community who do neither of thes
things, and yet, we never urge that a
an objection to their voting, so that
no argument; but place my objectio
upon the broad, and only grounds sus
) ceptible of argument-SHEI IS WOMAN
, That's enough, is it not? because tn
! act of voting would deprive her of he
modesty, or corrupt her. don't thin
voting could have any such effect, bu
it is, as 1 said before, because she is
woman, and for no other reason; an
this reason is supported by the Bible
by st. Paul, by all the patriarchs {
old, by the common law, and by ever
man who has been educated up to tn
standard of feeling his superiority bt
cause he is a man. That is the Ion
and short of it.
Don't you know that man is calIe
"hen-pecked" if he lets his wife knov
anything about his business ? Whs
right has she to know anything of hi
affairs? She must be kept in such
subordinate condition that she will nc
even inquire. There is another thin
which l think to be of some force, an
that is that it is estimated that nine
tenths of the marriages, fashionable c
otherwise, that are now entered int
are engaged in by women for homes
because they have no means of self-suI
port. Now, just give them an equi
show with men, and see what 1t wi
lead to. They will be independent an
self-supporting, and will hesitate Ion
before entering into a marriage, unles
prompted by love. They would n
longer marry for convenience. Sc
what that would lead to. Why, man
men would not be able to get wives
do their cooking, scrub their house!
and wash and iron their linen. Ths
uOuld ha tarrihIe and wonld OvarthrO,