The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1881-02-10

FIRST DAN-MoRNING SESSION.
The ninth annual Convention of the Oregon
State Woman Suffrage Association met on Tues
day, the sth instant, in the large hall Of the
Young Mems Christian Association, as per previ-
Gus announcement, the President, Mr.. +. f.
Heroy, in the chair.
Owing to the interruption of lines of travel by
storms and floods, very many of the delegates
from abroad had not yet arrived, the counties rep
resented being Multnomah, Yamhill, Washing
ton, Clatsop and Clackamas.
The Recording Secretary, Mrs. J. DeVore John
son, being absent, Mrs. Duniway was appointed
pro ten
The President appointed the following Commit
tees:
On Programme-Nlrs. NJ. A. Dalton and Miss
Ida Lesley of Multnomah and Mrs. Z. A. Corwin
of Clatsop
On Finance-Chaplan Stubs, Mrs. c. A. Co
burn and Mrs. NJ. A. Dalton, all Of Nfutnornah.
On Resolutions-Mrs H. 4. Loughary of Yam
hill and Mrs. 4. :. Duniway and DIR. Mary a.
Thompson of Multnomah.
Mr.. f. F. Heroy, the President, then read the
following address:
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
Officers and Members ofthc oregon state Woman
Suffrage association The ninth annual Conven-
unusually favorable auspices, and though much
of the progress of the question Of woman's enfran
chisement may be attributed to the earnest desire
of the intelligent people of this coast to lay the
foundation of our governmental fabric upon the
rock of eternal truth, yet to-day we should not
have witnessed the broad fields OF ripening grain,
now almost ready for the garner, had it not been
for the wearisome toll, the answering purpose,
the abounding zeal Of the officers and members Of
this Association. A ready appreciation should be
accorded to those who have stood and toiled in the
front rank Of the work.
In reviewing the work Of the past year, find
that very much more has been accomplished for
Woman Suffrage in that time than in all the
former years of the Associations history; and it
significant to note that this work has been ac-
compIished mainly within the latter half Of the
year, cheering the hearts of the husbandmen with
the thought that the harvest so long delayed is at
last ready for the gatherer In justice to those
who have labored so zeaously in former years to
prepare the soil and SOW the seed of our present
harvest-to show that are not Unmindfu Of
their Iabors-I will briefly notice the successive
stages of the work accomplished prior to the pres
ent year.
Mrs Duniway, who has been the leader of the
movement from the beginning in this State, and
to whose untiring energy success is thus far
mainly due, ATTENDED Lne Legislature IOr the UrSt
time for the purpose Of bringing the interests of
women before that honorable body OF lawmakers
in 1872. At that time the women Of Oregon were
wholly under the dominion of the old common
law, which deprived them, as soon as married. of
all legal civil political and financial personality
and made them alike the subjects Of their hus-
bands munifcence or iliberality, their affections
or abuse their prodigality their disposition to
be miserly At the legislative session before al
luded to, Hon. Samuel Corwn then OF Tllamook,
but now a resident of Astoria, offered a resolution
to secure the elective franchise to citizens without
regard to sex A number OF gentlemen seconded
Mr. Corwns efforts and fought bravely for the
resolution, but though it received handsome
vote, it failed to receive a majority. In 1874,
Col c. A. Reed, who has always been a stanch
Woman Suffragist introduced the same resOlu-
tion, which equally well considered in the
House, but eventually shared the fate Of its prede
eessor. But the majority Of our Legislators were
not Indifferent to the rights Of women, even in
that early period Of the movement was proved
by their passage of ''The Married Women's Sole
Trader Bill" in '72 and a ''Married Women's
Property Bill' in "A In rs, though honor
able effort was made by called Convention Of
this Association for the purpose of securing further
legislation in wOmans behalf, there was no i'm
mediate result. In rs, Mrs. Duniway was again
at her post, and remained at the Legislature
throughout the session, bearing her own expenses,