The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-05-11
EQUAL RIGHTS DISCUSSED

"Woman's rights" is being discussed
in the "Home Circle" department of
the Willamette Farmer, the opinions
pro and con showing conclusively that
women and girls in various localities
are giving the subject thought. One
young lady-and we should judge that
she is Uery young-of Polk county says
that she and her parents are bitterly
opposed to Woman Suffrage, and that
reading the NEW NORTHWEST has never
made any impression on her mind in
favor of "woman's rights"
And as she goes on to say that "every
one knows that woman's ability is
much weaker than man's," we are led
to doubt seriously her having read the
NEW NORTHWEST at all, as every indi-
vidual number furnishes more or less
proof of the extraordinary ability of
women who have worked for years in
political and social shambles. Her ver-
dancy is, however, most apparent when
she declares that mo lady who realizes
what women would be in mems places
could be guilty of advocating so absurd
thing as Woman Suffrage" While
this yolng lady has been consuming
time reading the dozens or hundreds
of novels that she confesses to have
read, older and wiser women have been
not only theorizing upon this question,
| but have been demonstrating to their
own profit and the satisfaction of others
that women can fill with honor, credit,
and financial success many of the
''places" in years agone held exclusive
for men, and working therein have
proved that these things they can do,
and retain all the sweet graces of pure
womanhood.
In marked contrast to the sentiments
of the person above quoted, we find q
mature matron of Yamhill county
stating her views in the same journal,
and as the first shows inexperience and
the narrowness that sometimes attend
| il, the second shows calm and discrim-
mate Judgment, born of observation and
experience in fighting life's battles
She says:
| Ny experience and observations are thai
! those women who believe in 'equal rights" q
| believe in mems rights as well as women:
/ rights make better wives and mothers, car
| turn of more work, and will study more thar
| those who do not believe in woman's rights
! The woman who has mind expansive enough
to comprehend the broad principles of equa
rights will have something else to think abou
| besides the petty annoyances of life, and tina
| keeps her temper smooth and Unruflied, anC
| II she does meet with disappOintments the!
are no more than fall to the lot Of other folks
50 far as TO men losing respect for women wit
| believe in woman's rights, have never foun,
| il So I have been in crowded assemb bile
| where every man knew my sentiments on tn
woman question, and have always had seat
offered, and l always remembered the teach
ings Of my mother and thanked the donor, toe
And now comes "Jenny Squash" o
McNIinnville, and deals out sarcasm il
this wise:
Sisters, if you wish men TO be kind and polit
to you, you must act, and talk, and think a
they desire you to. When women so far lay asid
their modesty as 10 allow their fee, even thei
minds, TO wander from the beaten path tina
men as their natural guardians, protectors an
rulers have marked out for them, let them nc
be surprised TO find that they have aroused tn
sleeping lion who will pOunce upon and ID
stroy them.
Go on, sisters. Help US to agitate tn
question. 1t makes little difference i
the result whether you are for or agains
equal rights, individually, only so tha
you aid the cause by sgitating the quei
tion. These things set people to thinl
ing, and thought will in due time crow
woman with equal rights-social, polit
cal, and financial.