The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-06-10
LIN SUFFRAGE.

The city election on Monday afforded
an opportunity for studying man suf-
frage.
At an early hour, the polls Of the vari-
Gus precincts were surrounded by a
motley d-ofiice-bolders aud Office
seekers, most Of them men Of average or
more than average educstlon and intel
ligence judges and lawyers, from the
pure-minded and fearless dispenser OF
justice to the corrupt and contemplate
I party hack, aud from the bold aud capa-
be attorney to the trucking and petty
7 shyster; salOon-keepers and proprietors
Of dives; ward strikers and "piece" men;
unlettered, unwashed and priest-ridden
Irishi industrious, plodding, phlegmatic
and beer-loving Germans; cunning,
shrewd aud raee-proud Jews freedom
enjoying negroes; pardohed convicts,
loafers, vagrants, drunks, runians,
opium fiends, with enough respectable
and honorable citizens to maintain,
through their superiority in intellect
and position, order and decorum. Good
citizens were constantly coming and GO
ing, aud only the wire-pullers aud
would-be politicians remained at their
posts. The worse elements, held in awe
by the broad, open light OF the day aud
the presence Of worthy citizens, con-
Quoted themselves in q comparatively
correct MANNERS well as can Je ex-
pected until women, by the air Of purity
which surrounds them, prevent any dis
graceful scenes.
The only disreputable proceedings
noticeable on the streets were animated
discussions by ward strikers, who were
trying to impose on unsophisticated ig-
norance by putting "eTooked" ballots
in the hands of illiterate foreigners or
those Of the law-making class Of our
own nation who were too lazy and
worthless TO profit by our common
schools to the extent Of learning TO read.
We noticed several men reading tickets
to ignoramuses who "dldn't have their
specs" or whose eyes "hurt them when
they read" or who knew so little OF
candidates as TO be unable to choose
from them, even If they were not too
near-sighted to tell one name from an
other
What a shame that men who must
have their tickets read TO them land
who cannot tell if the reader lies) have
the privilege OF using the ballot box
while Industrious and educated women
are hidden to remain away. What a
/ disgrace that q drunken loafer, too
"full" to know one ticket from another,
has the right to swagger up TO the polls
aud deposit a vote, aud then in q maud
lin tone assert that temperate women
have no right to vote, aud should stay
at home. What an outrage that tot
tering opium fiend is allowed a voice in
naming men who will legislate in favor
Of the brown drug aud similar evils,
while his mother, in fearful silence, can
have no opportunity Of helping to elect
candidates who will severely prescribe
against the poison, and allow her boy Ia
regain his health, strength and manli-
ness, and be n pride 10 her breaking
heart
Oh the infamy Of basing citizenship
and suffrage on sex instead of education
and enlightenment Oh! the idiocy
that permits a wayward and degraded
son to represent q temperate, kind, lov.
ing aud noble mother! Oh the mock.
cry Of patriotism that allows low-browed
and narrow minded foreigners TO legis-
late for free and country-loving Ameri-
can women