The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-05-15
A NEW REASON.

What, a new reason why women
should orshould not vote? Yes, really.
The latter, aud here it is, and it is from
no less a source than from the brain OF
Anthony TrOllope, and was given in a
recent meeting in London, called to con-
slider the political advancement Of
women.
The master of "a house is the master ofthe
house, and he is the master because be has
got Tie purse. Il is the mans duty 20 go out
and earn wages, on which the household is
sustained-on which the household is brought
upi and so long as tine man has the purse, SO
long must political power remain with him.
This IS a difficulty which the advocates OF
Woman Suffrage cannot get over
According to this new argument,
eight is nothing, principle is nothing
justice and humanity go for naught, aud
money rules the world. Yet, does not
Mr. Trollope know, or has he been indeed
80 dull a scholar, that equal rights mean
4inancial equality as well as political
equality? that yours" and ''mine"
should no more be used in connection
ssith the family purse by the husband
or wife than these terms should be used
in regard to the home or children
that "ours" is the proper term, and
should be recognized in all community
property? And again, does not he, and
all others who profess to be informed
upon this subject, know that the de-
mand includes the privilege for women
10 work at whateverinclinationp prompts,
and capability permits, FOR wages equal
10 those received by men for like work
In England, as in Massachusetts, there
is large preDonderance Of spinsters,
women who work, earn their own
money, and carry their own purses. If
the purse argument were all, these
would be at once enfranchised. Then
there are all over the civilized world
hundreds Of households wherein, what
ever be the "man's duty" in the prem
ises, woman's labor supplies the needs;
households which woman's hard-earued
money, '5rings up" What of these,
aud how will this new argument debar
them from the exercise Of political pow
er? Again, tits a well known fact that
a man is not always master Of the
house, however loudly he may make
proclamation. Whenever there is noisy
talk about family headship, be sure that
a woman is al the head OF that family
end that the man does the boasting.
Intellect and thrift will rule, and both
are sexless. The advocates OF Woman
Suffrage have toiled too severely in the
ascension of the "Hill Difficulty" to be
turned back when the summit is within
sight, by any argument, old or new,
that is conjured up as a specter I'm their
path to frighten them. Ii is easier 10
surmount an hundred imaginary ob-
stacles than 10 take a step backward
over q hardly contested field. II is a
thousand times more pleasant to over
come difficulties than TO yield supinely
to their crushing force, feeling as We
crouch beneath them that our cowardice
will add yet heavier weight to the
heritage Of injustice that will de-
scend to our daughters. Women do full
one-half the work Of the world. This,
no one whose opinion is worthy Of seri-
Gus consideration will dispute. Why
then have men the most money? Sim
ply because they take it, and custom
sanctions the theft, and women propose
70 get over the difficulty" by demand
ing, until their demands are needed,
equal pay for equal work, equal oppor-
tuuity 10 engage in remunerative labor
with men, an equal share in the ac-
cumUlations OF the matrimonial firm
ia short, equality in all family and
business transactions. The great lever
which they are trying to grasp whereby
they will accomplish much Of this, is
the ballot; with that they, like men,
Eill be able to redress wrong and compel
respectful consideration Of their rights
as responsible, intelligent human be-
ings. ,..-