The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-02-20
ESSAY


Ut viii be remembered that the report OF the
Yamhill County Woman Suffrage Convention
given last week showed the combination ofex-
ercises for one evening Of that body and the
open Temperance Society Of Lafayette. The
following essay was read upon that occasion
and ordered published.l
The subject Of temperance is now be-
ing agitated in a manner to attract very
general attention, and as the agitation
of any question is the "beginning Of
truth" a little more agitation may not
be Improbable. The candid and careful
observer will always notice that in Sc
lecting materials for an edifice-espe-
cially if the structure is expected to be
Of beauty or permanence-the cOmpe-
tent architect will be sure that his ma
terial is of the very best quality. No
sane person will for moment suppose
that, after careful pains taking Of the
same, he will then he careless as TO his
foundation, and erect his structure on
one composed of sand, which frosts and
and beating storms would ere long un-
dermine, leaving the building ready to
topple over with the very fast adverse
wind that assails it. No; the competent
and successful architect will attend to
having his foundation of the very best
material, and be sure that it is put to-
gether in firm, workman-like manner,
after which he can proceed with his
work, well knowing that a right be-
ginning" is certain TO result in a sue
cessful ending. Now, there are scores
OF noble men and women to-day, who
are unsuccessfully battling with the
giant demon, intemperance, aud with
very little prospect Of his overthrow;
this grand army Of workers would in a
very short time witness a great result
from their united efforts, were the laws
OF our country in sucn a shape that
there would be an equality Of the sexes
before the same. These, as they now
exist, not being supported by justice,
cannot, as a consequence, be on a sure
and firm basis. IL has often been con-
ceded that the women of our land have
as great an interest in the downfall Of
ardent spirits as does her brother man.
| IL is indeed then small wonder that so
little permanent progress is being made
in building this great bulwark Of tenn
perance, when we can all know and see
that the very foundation thereof is built
on the sands of injustice and inequality.
We are not ignoring the fact that tits
often affirmed, by well informed and
good meaning persons of both sexes, that
woman's influence is more potent for
/ good in the subordinate position before
the law than if she were in possession of
all the rights of citizenship. Granting
that her influence can be and often is
good, yet she is only a nOneuity before
/ the law, and as such, her pO,Ccr in this
great work is limited accordingly, for
she too, is aiding in the erection Of this
same structure, which having no firm
support cannot Withstand the winds aud
storms by which it is assailed. There
/ fore tits safe to conclude that as long as
the mothers of men are politically in
subordiuation to their own sons, we
may continue to expect this giant evil
intemperance to pursue his deadly
work, walking abroad over the land,
"Devounng every passing day
His thousands AT his meals"