The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-08-07
A LESSON FROM THE RIOT.

are addressed as deserve the title, we
ask you, respectfully and sincerely, TO
read and ponder well, for we have some
important thoughts for your considera-
ton, to which we wish to call your
special attention.
a few weeks ago, inspired by the
same confidence in human nature that
has carried her safely through eight
years Of active public life, the senior
editor of the NEW NORTHWEST went to
Jacksonville in the pursuit of her mis-
sion. She found there many grand,
good, noble ladies, aud a few public
spirited and progressive gentlemen,
who, in spite Of the ribald jokes Of their
associates, treated her with that respect
which is justly due from one civilly-in-
clined person TO another, without TAX
ing sex into account at all. The thought
or word or deed that is always bringing
forward the sex Of lady when consid-
ering her work, is the thought, word or
deed Of a vulgar mind, and should not
be tolerated by gentlemen. But it is
tolerated. Itwas more than tolerated
it, was encouraged-in Jacksonville.
Mrs. Duniway, having unlimited conf
dence in the innate chivalry Of the bet
ter classes Of men, accepted the ribald
ridicule and organized opposition Of
those high in power and place in her
usual serenity Of spirit, well knowing
that in a mental contest, the only form
Of combat that is rightfully in keeping
with the spirit Of the age, she was more
than a match for their ridicule and bur
lesque. SO she bided her time and re-
torted in the NEW NORTHWEST, giving
measure for measure in the line Of
facetie and squib, supplementing the
whole with a statement Of facts about
an offending Judge-facts yet green in
the memory Of every citizen Of Oregon,
and kept so by common report, yet so
distorted hitherto by the gossip Of men
that she herself believed, with hundreds
Of others, until she went to Jacksonville
and heard the other side Of the story
from ladies who had known the Judges
injured wife from the beginning, that
she had been a sort of Mrs. Sickles and
her lordly husband justified Daniel f.
come to judgment
Judge Prim is a well-known opponent
Of woman's Acknowledgement. His rul-
ings in the courts are invariably to the
effect that women have no legal rights
which men are bound to respect. In
this sense-and this only-he is a YER
liable Justice Taney, and all women in
law and equity are Dred Scots to him.
He claims that women do not need the
ballot for protection because they are
better protected as they are. The op-
portunity to exhibit the manner 10
which the Judge began at home" by
protecting his own wife from masculine
SANDER was too good for Mrs. Duniway
to lose. Her sense Of justice toward an
injured woman was another incentive
that induced her to publish the facts
and vindicate the lady's character. For
this she has been subjected to the vilest
indignities from men, indignities for
cept through thecourts Of men. But this is
not the question which you are specially
called upon to consider. There is an
other and general question Of far more
importance to her than mere personal
considerations, and that is this: Have
women a country? and are they not
wholly at the mercy Of men, who would
not rest a moment had they no greater
personal guaranty Of legal safety or pro-
lection from each other than that which
they accord to ladies? It will not suf-
fee for you to beg the question and say
that all men are not a Supreme Judge
or Brigadier- General, and that many
public officers are men OF honor. We
know that already. Neither are all
men murderers; but you do not, on that
account, refuse TO make general law to
protect the people from being muir
dered, or punish those who kill. The
difficulty with you lies right here.
You have been so long accustomed to
overlook the individual sovereignty Of
women that the fact Of their innate
equality with you before the law dawns
upon you slowly, and in fractional ex-
ceptons. You are asked to think less
Of the sex Of woman and more Of her in
herent claim equally with yourselves
upon ''life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness" You cannot represent
woman because you cannot put your
selves in her place. But you can de-
mand that she be empowered with the
right to use her inalienable right to
represent herself To the fact that men
cannot be depended upon to protect
women from slander and insult, Mrs.
Duniway's recent experience in Jack
sonville, as well as Judge Prim's exam
pie, bears ample testimony.
Gentlemen of Oregon, how long shall
these things be? Do you not realize
that your own daughters may become
the Mrs. Prims Of the future? And do
you not see that there is no guaranty
that they shall be safe from like in
justice in case some evil-minded ''pro-
tector" Of women sees fit TO slander
them in hearing Of their future hus-
bands? Tie same law aud usage holds
as good to-day against a slanderaS
woman as 1t did dozen years ago. Tba
sacred principle at stake is iust as i'm
portant as it was then. II is an issue