The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-01-04
THE PROJECTING SEX.

yolving upon editor, book keeper, house
Keeper, dressmaker, and hostess, the
door-bell rang for the half-dozenth time
within an hour, disturbing at the same
time mental reverie upon the eva
nescenee Of human things ,forit was the
last day Of the year, aud the exact
mode of trimming a new polonaise,
through which the busy needle was fly
ing rapidly. Mentally hoping for a
cash eustomet, We answered the bell in
person, and confronted two strangers,
who gazed, one curiously, and the other
expectautly, into our wondering eyes,
while both seemed as badly perturbed
as ourself Not knowing what else to
do, We Invited them to the sitting-room,
where cheerful fire somewhat reas-
sured us, though it evidently failed to
put them at ease.
This is the lady ?" said one, address
ing the other interrogatively, aud indi-
eating Us.
"Nes."
"Ar. Brown" said the first speaker,
by way Of introduction. 81 am a police
officer" politely, throwing back his
overcoat and disclosing the dreadful star
aud buttons
What naughty thing had we been
aud gone and done We wondered. But
our cogitations were cut short toy the
veritable Mr.. Brown in question, who
exclaimed, hurriediy:
81 saw you when you visited the pen
iteutiary at Salem"
"Ah! l understand. Is there any
thing | eau do for you ?"
"Ies. I've got into trouble, and /
want you to pay this officer two dollars,
50 l can be set at liberty"
"And what will be the consequence to
you If / refuse ?"
"Ill have TO 90 back to the city jail
for another day, aud don't like the
company there. The associations are
bad"
"Then, sir, you should not break the
laws"
The fellows impudence was as pitia-
ble as sublime.
The officer spoke:
YOU said" turning 10 the prisoner,
that you were well acquainted with
this lady, else should not have brought
you here; aud now il turns out that she
has sometimes lectured To the convicts,
and you heard her once while you were
an inmate Of the penitentiary. There
are thousands Of honest, law abiding
people in Portland who can claim ac-
quaintauce with her on the score Of
having heard her lecture, but 1 doubt il
she'd feel called upon To give any one
Of them two dollars on such a pretext."
"But only ask the money as a loan
Pm going to the country tomorrow to
90 10 work"
"Then," we said, YOU'D better re-
main in prison till Tomorrow, and save
your two dollars"
''But pm sick"
"rhen how could you go to work -
No answer
What are you under arrest for ,"
Getting drunk"
And you'll cone to "a lady, who can't
afford the luxury Of getting drunk her
self, and ask for money TO get you out
Of drunken serapes, eh ?'
81 thought you'd help me-"
"Td be glad to, poor fellow, il by so
doing l could do you any good. But
the penitentiary's the best place on
earth for you, sir You can't get
whisky there, aud no doubt you'll soon
Ue there again"
"Pil never drink again"
THAT'S what they always say" said
the officer, "but they never keep theii
word"
With that the policeman apologized
for having intruded, and went his way,
with the woman's law-maker in his
custody, leaving Us 10 our cogitatlons
aud dress-making.
And now, good reader, let US reason
together. Who did sin against this
mans mother, that lie was born
drunkard aud a theft And if the
mothers Of America must look to the
ballots Of such as he for protection, who
is to surround them with conditions
that shall develop higher specimens OF
manhood? Such an apology for man
is but a striking proof Of the balefulness
Of a system that thwarts humanity Of it,
birthright through the subiugation OF
the mothers. Do men gather grapes OF
thorns or figs OF thistles ? Not guilty
man Is convicted of crime but the phys
iologist can trace out the ante-natal
conditions OF the motherhood that
prompted him, at last, TO commit the
deed. Not man becomes a hopeless
inebriate except he inherit the appetite
through some cause not generally OBJ
servable TO the surface thinker. But, to
a member Of The disfranchised aud con-
sequeutly impoverished sex, the idea of
a member of the protecting sex appeal
ing 10 US for financial aid, while they
have all the political power in their
hands, is the sublimity Of absurdity.
Let the men that get the profits from
the liquor traffic liquidate the debts Of
the drunk, emphatically say we.
Senator Dawes, from the committee
on public buildings, reported adversely
on the petitions from the friends Of
Woman Suffrage asking to be allowed
o H.. 49,, ,.f tI,, -ss,,ota ,t,., t,,- 10. ,,.