The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-08-11
LET DETERMINATIONS CEASE.

Deceased, Lydia F. Barnum, a native of In
diana, 2S years of age, came to her death on the
18th day of July, 1876, at the Brooklyn Hotel, in
this city and county, from peritonitis and
metritis, induced by abortion produced upon
her by some person or persons unknown.
Such was the verdict rendered by
coroner's jury in San Francisco recently,
and the verdict rendered, the work of
the jury was done, and the wrecked
body of tone more unfortunate" was
consigned to the loving bosom of mother
earth. Another life tragedy is COM
pleted, another victim to pledges unre-
deemed and promises broken is hidden
from sight by the merciful clods of the
valley, and as if unconscious of the
shame and suffering which follows ever
the beaten track of sin, the world, with
its hurrying throngs, moves on as be-
fore. The case of Lydia Barnum is but
one of a thousand, hundreds being
yearly lost in the gaping gulf of blank
oblivion, unchronicled even by a news
paper paragraph or a coroner's verdict.
A professional 'abortionist was the i'm
mediate cause of the tragedy, and for
him (or herr we find no words to suffi-
ciently express our execration. But
back of all this is the primary cause,
and little search will reveal it.
All, you say, sin was the cause, and
in accordance with the Word, ''The way
of the transgressor is hard" Yes, truly;
but why then can the father of Lydia
Barnum's child walk abroad with
brazen effrontery, and not be visited
with the blight which the ban of society
placed upon his companion in trans
gression? Is it according to divine law
that the way of the woman transgressor
alone shall be hard One party to a
mutual sin continues to enjoy respecta-
bility and honor, the other is driven to
the desperate choice of probable death
and positive disgrace, which is far worse.
Social scientists admit that this is un-
just, and yet society fails to apply the
just and only remedy. The cause begins
in childhood, when we hear a misde-
meanor excused by parents and toler-
ated by society because the offender is 8
boy, or condemned and made much ado
of if girl. We hear almost every day
careful mothers say, 'It isn't nice fol
little girls to do So" while like rudenes:
in the girls brother, though perhap:
the occasion of temporary annoyance tC
mamma, is palliated with the conces
sion, or excuse, "bOys will be boys, you
know" This state of affairs continues
and indeed increases as the children ad
vance toward young man and woman
hood. The boy is allowed license in hi
habits, is permitted to make himsel
disgusting to his mothers and sister
with tobacco, and offends ears polite OF
the streets with his profanity, while tht
girl, more properly taught, feels tina
such habits would disgrace her. Girl
are taught moral responsibility and de
MED individual and political response
bility; boys are allowed individual lati
tude and freedom, and ignore moral re
sponsibility so long as they do not b!
overt act infringe upon the laws. 1
is not that girls should be less careful,
trained in respect to personal accounta
bility, but that boys should be equal,
so. Dismiss the old idea that it is tn
sex of the culprit that defines the enor
nifty of the misdeed, but let both b
judged equally guilty for mutual depart
ure from rectitude.
Remove the restrictions that lie al
about the path of working girls, so tina
they may not have to work at starva
tion wages or do worse. Give then
equality in all things, socially, politi
cally, financially, and working wit
equal chance for success, independence
and respectability. Let the one who dc
parts from the right way and strays int
paths forbidden of virtue and honor, b
visited with social ostracism withou
regard to sex. Until this auspicious er
shall dawn, the old story will be eve
the same, mans perfdy and immunit
from social accountability, woman's dii
honor and shame. Let US hope that a
determinations in favor of one sex wi
soon cease, socially, politically, speed
lily, and entirely.