Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-01-06
Letters from the People.
AN ACCOMPANIMENT TO THE HARPER.
VEIN. Jan Cd 1898


YELM, Jan. I'd, 1883.
EDITOR STANDARD: Just a little |
time, just little space, please devote
to an article in support OF truth and
in condemnation of its opposite. In
last weeks STANDARD, the man that
is still harping," always harping,
without music, bubbles over, rushes
into print, and thereby disregards, the
scriptural injunction to "speak the
truth and lie not" in two particulars.
First, he says: "The petition in cir
culation at Yelm was signed by per-
haps twenty-five or thirty PERSONS
when in fact it was signed by just
forty persons, and would have been
signed by one more, had he ventured
to circulate his famous remonstrance
which he actually wrote, but so far
has not dared to circulate Second,
he says: They signed because inn
portuned." This seems like false
statement, perhaps on account of
ignorance of the true mea ming of the
word importune." The man who is
still harping," should be corrected.
BY reference to our standard author
ity, he will learn that importune, verb
transitive, means, ITO request with
urgency; to press with solicitation; to
urge with unfrequent unreasonable, or
troublesome application; to tease"
all of which terms fail to apply to the
method of obtaining names to the pc
tition under discussion. Now for
the facts; the petition was sent from
Yakima, by James Longmire, who
was there on visit for several weeks,
and knowing he would not be at home
to look after the matter, he sent it to
ME with the request that secure as
many signers thereto as possible.
circulated it by hanging it by the
postoffice window, in my husbands
store, and often asked persons, to
sign by merely saying" Would you like
to sign petition for the re-enactment
of the Woman's Suffrage Law? But
as for importuning people to sign it,
in justice to those who signed, as well
as those who did not, let me say,
they were not importuned, but simply
asked, and the matter was left to each
individuals judgment. Ii refusal
was the result, the mental soundness
of the person was not doubted, neither
was his difference of opinion unfeel-
! ingly and unsultingly commented
upon. Many signed it who 1 had
supposed were opposed to the move
ment, and while grateful for the sup
port which Yelm gave the cause, /
have no word of condemnation for
those who refused to sign the petition
and will further say, to the honor OF
those who refused, that the refusals in
all but one instances were polite and
kind. One man answered my ques
ton, will you sign this petition?" by
asking, Do you think Pm crazy~
replied had not thought so, or would
not have wanted his signature.
What man can do is best proven
by what he does, and the assertion by
4 the man who is "still harping," tha
> he can get more signers to remon
STRANGE against Woman Suffrage il
two days than the petitions for it go
: in a month, has only one purpose
namely, to cause people who do no
know to suppose that a months time
was spent in getting names, whereas
n the whole time would not amount t,
1t two hours. He might get more name
is to q remonstrance, from the fac
# which is apparent to the simples
mind that "Woman's Suffrage" ha
u more enemies than friends, else
t. would not be agitating small men
!" with proportionally small minds as
q does to-day. What can do for tn
!. suffrage movement is proven by tn
' list of names lately presented from
"a Yelm, to the Territorial Legislature
p by Mr.. w. J. Thompson, an arden
n supporter of Woman's Suffrage.
= have given these facts in vindica
ton OF truth; in defense of what
e consider direct attack upon myself
E. the most active agent for the pet
E. ton. Lou JACKSON LoNGMIRE.