The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-09-09
oPk0FEssBD FRIgNDs. .

ava ----.fAA-e I ~
re August N1fo8ai Citizen says TIE
stional Woman Suffrage Association
isa alike rsproacted 0y proiessed friends
and pronounce opponents because t
asked recognition oi w0irau's political
rghts from al the different parties tbis
Residential year"
THE is a strained snd hasty assertion.
rie NEW NCErHwEsT. a Journal which
loi only "profssses" Woman Suffrage.
but which uus been Instrumental ia ac-
auaI hing much toward ihe elevation
- dom Of woman, .s shown hy
the laws OF Oregon aud Washington
Territory, has stated that il does not
think wise the pledge of support to
party solely because il would adopt n
suffrage plank. We did not approve
the idea in June more than at present.
and did not condemn il at that time be.
cause we did not wish an appearance OF
strife IN tie suffrage ranks al 50 i'm
portant a period. We regarded il a.
impossible to get one party to pledge
itself to politically free a class uho
would willingly have supported another
party il it promised them justice. We
hope women will profit 10y past expert
ence, aud suggest that IN 1884 they ex-
press their views la a platform, and ask
The help Of the party in accord with
their principles. But We have not q
word Of reproach for the women who 50
zealously labored 20 secure equality TO
all in the present year. We have not
considered that they were wrong ia ask
ing all parties 10 DO their duty TO wom-
en-. We only regard it as uuwise TO
0fier the support Of Woman Suffragisis
TO any party for a consideration, al
though the ideas Of the favoring party
might openly conflict with the views Of
The women on every question except the
suffrage. We know the opinions Of the
suffragisis are not so plastic that they
can be moulded into any form, to suit
the record aud views of any Of the par
ties; that women cannot compel parties
10 come to them, aud must go to the
National Conventions on a plsi form Of
merit. We are aware that if the plat
form is so written that women can sup
port any one OF half a dozen parties,
they will be unrecoguizrd by any con-
vention Of men, who are versed in poll
ties and must have a plain state nent Of
position from those asking justice even.
We recognize that the platform Of the
Woman Suffragists will meet with the
condemnation of one of the two great
National parties, and must necessarily
be approved by the members of the
other. If the party which approves
does not embrace the principles in its
platform, women are nope the worse of
than they would be 10y neutral state
ment, which would certainly gain them
no friends.
The National Citizen, which speaks
for the National Woman Suffrage Asso-
citation, is aiding the Democratic nominee
for the Presidency, in spite Of the Asso-
ciation's expressed determination to
support no party not first emphaticalIy /.
endorsing" Woman Suffrage; and no
person can find in any Democratic plat I
form any endorsement Of the woman
question, OF plank Of respectful con- |
sidention" even. The Citizen will .
probably justify its course by referring
to HancOck's assertion that IL is "Ouly /.
by free ballot that the people can 4
rule" though he declined to assert his /.
views for or against Woman Suffrage |
II the Citizen thinks the suffrage move F.
fnent will be benefited by the election /.
Of Hancock, ii is perfectly right in sup
porting him. but it should not be so
restive and testy in its remarks because
others cannot see through ils eyes
None Of the National parties endorsed /
Woman Suffrage, and any woman /
should uphold the party that comes 1
nearest to embodying her principles |
We favor the Republicans because We
are in accord with many Of their ideas, f.
and know that most Of the men who /
champion Woman Suffrage are found
in their ranks.