The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-06-12
WOMAN HER SISTERS WORST
ENEMY.


"I had hitherto been in favor Of Wom-
an Suffrage, but when I saw how rab-
idly eager women were for Mrs. Hibert's
hearts blood when she was on trial for
her life under circumstantial evidence
which could not be made sufficiently
strong to convict her, aud then remem-
bered how frantically determined these
same women had been a few years be-
fore to save the life Of Thomas Gerard,
about whose guilt there could not be two
opinions, 1 changed my mind" Such
was the long-drawn exclamation of a
citizen OF Salem the other day, which
be offered as an excuse fornot renewing
his subscription to the NEW NORTH
WEST
"And what has all that to do with
Woman Suffrage, pray?" we asked,
pOising the waiting pencil tremulously
upon the open bill-book, where we
hoped to be ordered to scribble an APP
propriate receipt.
at means that women are their own
enemies, and they can't be trusted to de-
fend each other"
docs that remark apply to your
humble servant?" we venlured to ask,
while We couldn't help eongrstulating
the dying cause OF mans rights in that
it had new theory on which TO base its
threadbare objection to the freedom Of
women.
"Well-nO % our friend was com
PEELED to say; "but you only represent a
very small number Of women. The
masses Of your sex are terrible enemies
to each other. When a man makes a
misstep, both men aud women strive to
set him on his feet again. But when
woman gets under a ban, whether de-
serving censure or not-it makes no kind
Of difiereuce-her sisters pounee upon
her like furies, and prevent her possible
return to the paths Of rectitude by their
unreasonable fights against her"
"And so you dare not give these fero-
eious creatures called women the power
Of the ballot, lest they become their own
destroyers. Is that il 90
That's Il, madam - with an empha-
sis on the little 'Tt" which we are sorry
we cannot transmit to our paper.
"Now, it must be admitted, good
friend" We answered, earnestly, "that
your words are not without their own
sad meaning. But let us look at the
causes that led women to traduce Mrs.
Hilbert, the alleged murderess, so IN
compromisingIy."
"The cause was their own uncharita-
bleness, madamw
"Beg pardon, sir. The cause lay back
of that. Men told their wives horrible
stories about Mrs. Hilbert, aud mems
newspapers echoed the horrible stories.
Women only gave vent to the reverber-
ations which were the echoes Of their
husbands sentiments"
"But women shouldn't be such foolsr'
They're the mothers Of men, sir; and
men are proverbially like their mothers,
the world over"
"But men are not wOmeu's enemies"
"Again beg pardon; bat you must
admit that no woman ever yet fell from
a state of purity except a man first
wrought her ruin"
"But that is no reason why women
should be such merciless foes 10 their
own sex"
"Women, sir, are like the slaves Of
former decade. They get their ideas
from their masters, the purse-h holders. I
You are aware that the very worst and |
most outspoken enemy an unfortunate /
slave could have was brother slave or
slaves more fortunately situated than
himself Nobody pursued runaway ne
groes like slaves who had the reputation
OF being eOntented with their lot. But
when they were all free, they became
friends to the more oppressed Of their
race, just as women will become in the
good time coming when such as YOU
shall cease TO exercise the unwarrant-
able Jurisdiction over them that de.
prves them of.the ballot"
81 don't like to hear you eomparinp
women 10 the slaves Of former dispen
sation"
"Nou Invoked the comparison, sir
You said women were their own worst
enemies, and you used TO say the same
thing about the other servants without
wages, who now help you to make the
laws that suhjugate women and cause
them to be tyrannical aud suspicious
when one Of their sex is under ban.
They think to find extra favor in their
masters eyes by echoing in public the
the masters express in their
or, worse still, cause to be pub
'ished in the daily newspapers. There
Is but one cure for wOman's enmitv
against women, and that cure is the llb-
erty that Woman Suffrage will give her.
The ballot will make her a law-maker:
she will then become a property-hoIder !
on like terms with yourself With De-
'uniary independence will come in
creased philanthropy, and the power to
exercise it without losing caste. Did
you say you would authorize me TO sign /,
his reeeipt?"
cor, I s'pose so. My wife likes your ,
paper, and somehow there's no refuting !
rour logic. Here's three dollars.u
Good reader, didn't we earn that i,
money? /,
When we respectfully accost a man !
md ask him 20 subscribe to the Penple's