The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-08-31
"MR. NANCY SMITH"

to put himself in the legal, domestic
aud financial situation of his wife thus:
Suppose Mr.. John Jones marries Miss
Nancy Smith, and by virtue of the con-
tract becomes forever thereafter Mr..
Nancy Smith, instead of Mr.. John Jones.
Then, suppose that, from the date of
marriage, the financial fruit of all bis
earnings and savings belonged exclu-
sively, through law and custom, to Mrs.
Nancy Smith, who would not hesitate
to appropriate them to suit her own in
clination, satisfying herself, should he
sometimes venture to complain, by say
ing, "My dear, don't you have every
thing you need? Why should you de-
sire to use money? Don't 1 support
you? Do you think IN made of money,
that you should be wanting this or that :?
Don't you know that whatever belongs
to US is mine? that am the head of the
family, and you are supported and pro-
tected by me?"
Don't you suppose, good reader, that
Mr.. Nancy Smith would very soon cry
out against such an innovation upon
his rights? Don'tyou think he'd speed
lily assert himself, if there was any real
manhood in him? ? Don't you think he
would remind the head of the family
that be was no longer content to be a
servant without wages? Would be not
speedily and peremptorily demand an
equal copartnership with the dominat-
ing power?
Such, men and brethren, has long
been the condition of the married wom-
en- of these States. If the husband de-
sire to use his power, as we have
stated, there is no redress for the woman
who tolls by his side, unless, through
domestic insurrectiOn, melted by this
inequality in the copartnership, which
the husband would die rather than en-
dure, the wife becomes an aggressor,
and breaks up her household rather
than longer submit to the unwarrant.
able Jurisdiction over her which the
laws of men allow and protect.
Suppose Mr.. Nancy Smith, having
suffered long train of financial abuses
and domestic usurpations, should some
day see a newspaper, having for its OBJ
ject the equalization of financial forces
and restoring the just equilibrium o
domestic rights; and seeing such a pa
nor cunnoSo shOul1 yonfura fO snhSnri n,
for it, economizing in a dozen ways t.
spare the money.
Mrs. Nancy Smith, when the pape
comes, refuses Mr.. Nancy Smith tn,
right to receive and read it in the house
Then Mr.. Nancy Smith makes a sal
rosa bargain with a neighbor more for
tunately situated (whose wife lets hin
have all the newspapers be wants. ant
she receives it for him. Then he goe
to that neighbor's after that to read i
regularly.
After a while the subscription ex
pires, and Mr.. Nancy Smith has n
money, because Mrs. Nancy Smith own
all his earnings and refuses to give hin
the pittance of three dollars per yeal
unless he will spend it exactly as sh
chooses. Then Mr.. Nancy Smith write
to the publisher, or sends word by
friend, saying, 'Please do not discon
tinue my paper. will send remit
tance as soon as ever can"
The publisher, knowing that NJ
Nancy Smith is financial pauper, d.
spite his constant industry, sends tn
paper till his own liabilities, incurre
in publishing, compel him to forward
bill for arrears. Then Mrs. NanC
Smith must find out all about it, f,
she knows just exactly what Mr.. NanC
did with that 1.-TWO bits" she gave hi
the other day; so she gets in a passiC
and goes to the post office and leav,
a peremptory order, which is followt
next day by line from the postmast
TO the publisher, saying, "Your pape
addressed to Mr.. Nancy Smith, is n
taken out, but lies dead in this offic
Reason: refused by Mrs. Nancy Smith
How would you like it, men al
brethren? Would you not speedily fl
complaint against the wifehood
America for melting domestic insu
rection among you? And wouldn't y,
contempt the craven sycophant WI
would say in the face of your complain
"Ny ,0Jie lets me do as IpIease? I Iha
all the rights I aOant?"
Good reader, we have received mo
than a hundred orders like the abo
from the Mr.. John Joneses of Ameri
within the last month, and the NJ
John Joneses are compelled to abide t
consequences. How would you like I
exchange of conditions, Mr.. Jone
Once your wife was Miss Nancy Smit
A young and bright aud good-natur
girl, who could earn, and was earning
handsome support as a schoolma'a
or milliner, or house-keeper, or arti
But she gave up her lucrative situate
her life of comparative ease and col
fort, to become your wife, and "
heneeforth known, not as Mrs. Nan
Smith, but as Mrs. John Jones, the
lation carrying with il all the unit
consequences which we have 'enum
ated as applying to you if conditio
were reversed and you were Mr.. Nan