The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-06-17
WHAT " OUMTUX" SAW.
PORTLAND, June II 1850.

PORTLAND, June i, 1850.
To THE EDITOR or THE NEW NoErIWEsT
Your excellent paper is q welcome
visitor at my house, because 10 has the
ring Of universal freedom and right.
Last weeks issue contained an article
on "Msn Suffrage" that presents some
very plain facts. It shows that while
some classes Of men-nien who are reel
ing under the poisoning influence OF
liquor, who cannot read their own tick
cts, aud who have no more kuow,,.'gc
of the sacredness of ballot than hog
has OF war-are permitted to so TO the
polls and there deposit the silent mis-
sives that will tell for The future veal
or woe Of our country, while our iuteiii-
gent wives, mothers, sisters aud daugh-
tiers must remain silent Ny daily
prayer is that God will speed the day
when the noble cause for which you are
so faithfully laboring will burst forth in
all its glory, for it is the only thing that
will put stop 10 the curse ot drunken
ness.
/ Last Monday 1 was ut work where I
had a full view of the workings Of
/ liquor selling. The law upon our stat
ute books says plainly that every saloon
shall be closed on election days, as also
on the sabbath; but the law is dead
letter While the front door Of every
saloon is closed, yet the back door is
open, aud a perfect run is kept up all
day long in open violation of law.
! On election day my work was near q
/ dwelling house, aud through its door
| yard was made runway TO the back
door OF a saloon, where perhaps TWO
hundred Of the voters went back and
forth throughout the day. They were
not the blear-eyed rabble only, for
saw Judges and lawyers, men Of mind
aud talent, whom 1 have seen stand up
in our Court House and plead with all
the power Of eloqueuce for some con-
demned criminal, made so in nine cases
out Of ten by the use Of liquor.
=. 1 saw men go through that door-yarl
-" hail fellows well met" with thal
beer-swilling, blear- eyed crew-who vii
go down on their knees aud pray mos
fervently that God will bless the righ
and speed the cause of reform; and
have seen them stand up and talk fo
God and advise men to shun all sucl
places Of vice and temptation yet they
will slyly violate the Law by stealing
into the back door OF a saloon. What
is the example Of such Christians?
l also saw 60 through that door-yar,
into the back door OF that saloon mel
who have been to the Open Temperanc,
Meeting and sigued the pledge two oil
three times, and also took an oath before
God that they would not drink any
more (and had it recorded in Justic,
Davis's court, and have come 20 theil
friends and borrowed money when tLeil
wives lay at the point Of death aud they
could not get credit at our drug storei
for medicines-and that money unpaid
I saw 90 into that back door boys wh,
are not out of their teens
What saw at this one place il cull
sample OF what was seen at man,
places in Portland. Do you wonder tina
our Police Court was filed the next ia!
with drunken men, although ''tbe doc
Of every saloon in Portland was closet
on election day?
I heard several prominent gentlemen
say that they hope that the time wiI
come when the cause for which you ar,
laboring will prevail; that they hav,
never been in favor Of Woman Suffrage
but the times demand It. I tell yol
that public sentiment is fast beiui
nodded aud shaped for the advent @
this great reform. CUlITUE.