The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-03-02
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE o. s.
W. S. a.

ISOLATION in Albany. which we will publish as
our space permits. We present 1rstthe follow
ing:l
AS you have honored me with an in
vitatiOn to attend the meeting of the
Oregon State Woman Suffrage Associa-
ton at Albany on the 18th inst, much
regret that sickness in my family will
compel me to forego the pleasure of
meeting at the time so many talented
ladies and gentlemen who are nobly
striving to dispel the barbarous preju-
dice which still assigns to woman the
place of inferiority as compared With
her brother; but hope 1 may be in
dulged in the privilege of offering to
your Association by letter few remarks
principally in apology for myself and
our sex.
While 1 have ever taken a deep inter-
est in the cause of those who have been
denied equal rights by willful oppressors,
l must admit have some less feeling in
the matter of "woman's rights" for do
not believe that at this time men, in
hesitating to admit women to equal,
civil and political privileges with them
selves, are influenced by desire to op-
press them; and therefore cannot fully
agree with some of the ladies who Judge
US more severely, and in consequence
cherish and encourage arebellious spirit
against us. We ask the ladies to re-
member that among barbarians women
are mere cbattels, and were such among
our own ancestors-were bought and
sold like cattle among the majority of
people. She and everything that per-
tained to her belonged to her husband.
Even among the Jews, the chosen peo-
pie of God, she could not bind her soul
by a VOW to God without her husbands
consent-''she could not say her soul
was her own" And even under the
common law now in force in our coun-
try, where not modified and restrained
by constitutions and legislative enact
ments, the wife has but few rights her
husband is bound to respect. The COM
mon law not only gave him control of
his wife's property, wages, etc.-Power
to sell her property and use the proceeds
and to hire her out to labor and to take
and use her wages to pay for the more
agreeable society of other women or for
any other purpose-but also control of
her person, and the right to command
her and compel obedience, even to the
extent of castigation. The wife's mar
riage vow, ITO love, honor, and obey"
so familiar within our own recollection,
was but an affirmance of the common
law obligation. Now, when in view of
the above, we come to consider the
rights and privileges now enjoyed by
married women in this State, you may
feel better assured of the fact that men
have not hesitated to enlarge woman's
rights and privileges as civilization and
enlightenment have enabled them to
better understand her nature and capa-
bilities. In this State it will be seen
that the wife's civil rights have been
very much enlarged. Our Consti-
tuition protects the property owned by
her at the time of marriage, and such as
she may afterwards acquire by gift, de-
wise, or inheritance, from the debts OF
her husbands provision which has
been styled by our Supreme Court, "a
great innovation upon the common
law" And at almost every session OF
our State Legislature since the adoption
of the Constitution, other innovations
have been made upon the common law
in her behalf, the last Legislature pro-
viding a law to enable the wife to sue
for damages in her own name and right,
in case of injury to her person, and to
collect and hold her own wages. In
view of the progress already made, ]
think it is reasonable to expect that
those inroads upon the old laws and GUS
toms will continue to be made from
time to time, until a system of perfect
equality before the law will be estab-
lished. The wife will then no longer be,
as the lawyers say, "Sub poteState viri,n u
under the power of the man. Her indi-
viduality, so long merged in her hus-
band, will then have been restored, and
civilly speaking, she will then be one ol
the people. And in that event 1 think
the right to vote will be considered to
follow as matter of course.
Although these suggestions would
seem to favor a theory which, strictly
followed, would admit single women to
the polls, while married women might
be excluded, 1 apprehend no such alb
surd distinction will be tolerated in pol
itics, although it does exist in the law
relating to civil rights, inasmuch as in
those rights single women are now
equal with men. To be candid, must
say that aside from the traditions and
superstitions of past ages, I find moth
ing to teach me that woman is not and
should not be recognized as au equal
with man. My observation, on the
other hand, teaches me that she is NOR.
ally and intellectually his equal, and
equally interested in just laws and good
government. The arguments I have
heard urged against her promotion tc
an eOualitV annear to me to he meraI Z