The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-09-23
AN OPEN LETTER.

To the Honorable Legislative Body the Senate
and House of Representatives of the State o
Oregon in Council Assembled =
SOUereigns, Gentlemen and Lar Makers: In the
name and by authority of tax-paying women o
the Commonwealth of Oregon, am commissioned
as member of the State Woman Suffrage Asso
citation, to eschew all personal lobbying in theil
! interest and appeal to you through the columns O
the NEW NORTHWEST, praying your Honorable
Body to pass an Act during your present session
submitting to the legal voters of Oregon for theil
consideration at the next general election, an
Amendment to the State Constitution, which
shall permit them to expunge the words "white
male' from Article of Section H. on suffrage.
and Elections" The word ''whiteu having al
ready become dead letter through National leg.
islation, Is manifestly out of place in the instru
ment you are sworn to obey, and should be elimi-
mated from future editions of the Code, rendering
the explanatory foOt-note in reference to it unnec
essary. The word "male," being also a remnant
of bygone institution intended to discriminate
against the colored race, is a detriment to the
rights and immunities of your Unrepresented con
stituents, the women Of the State, who are taxed
to maintain the laws which they are denied a
voice III making. We do not ask you to submit
an Amendment compelling women to exercise the
ID u
trary as the one restricting our liberties of which
we now complain. But we respectfully pray youl
Honorable Body TO lay aside the false theories
that make woman legally perpetual minor
while naturally she is an individual, with a will
and understanding of her own quite equal to that
possessed by yourselves. We will spare you al
this time and place the detail of argument con.
cening the need of this Amendments which
vitally concerns your unrepresented constitu-
ents, but which men are apt to consider of littl,
consequence, since they do not generally under
stand its Importance 10 women. The pros anC
cons, why's and wherefores of this petition WE
will postpone until such time during the session
and in such manner a. may suit your convenienc,
TO designate. We do not come before you "a youI
enemies, but a. your friends and alles-as youI
wives, your mothers, your sisters and your daugh
ters. We do not ask for our inalienable right To
voice in making the laws we are annually taxet
TO sustain because Of any desire to govern YOU ol
your represented constituents Such is not oul
proviAce, nor could we rightly hope to succeed in
such measure if we should attempt it, The
women who while i'm the condition Of perpetual
minority and i'm order to win your personal favor
in the interest of some special hobby, pretend
that they have all the rights they want are by
nature tyrannical, seeking individual gain or am
bition rather than universal good We have no
word of censure for them. Their numbers are not
great, and the fact that they come to YOU for
special legislation contradicts the assertion that
they are i'm full possession of their rights You
are asked to discriminate between individual
claimants and the just demand for equality before
the law which women who ask the ballot are ask
ing for all men and women. We fook into your
faces and pray with trust and confidence that YOU
will hear our plea. Should the voters of the state
refuse to grant the boon which YOU alone can give
them the power To bestow upon US the response
biltty will rest with them We are willing To
trust the case in their hands. VIII YOU not aid
us? And we also ask, in respect and confidence.
and relying upon your chivalry for an affirmative
answer, that you will consider our plea of sutii-
cient importance to give Us a hearing before your
Committee of the Whole, and that you will gfa-
ciously inform us of the time most convenient for
yourselves, when you can listen to arguments on
behalf of those persons who are taxed without
representation and governed without consent
The women of Oregon are patriotic They see, as
you cannot but see ALSO that the time is speedily
coming when some Commonwealth will lead the
van IN the great galaxy of States i'm granting TO
women the right of suffrage. VIII YOU not assist
in placing that honor on the brow of Oregon. that
she may shine in the history of the centuries TO
come as the state alone can shine whose hammer
of Liberty for all the People shall bv virtue Of
precedence i'm action be entitled to the most ot
honor? F' Vi
All of which is respectfully submitted i'm the
name and on behalf of the women of Oregon bv
your faithful friend and obedent servant
ABIGAIL SCOTT DUNIwAY.