East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-05-18
MRS. OUN|WAY PLEADS FOR THE MOMEN

Mrs. Abigail Scott Duniway, the
whose life has been devoted to the
elevation and advancement of her sex.
writes the following strong communi-
cation on the equal suffrage question
to the Irrigon Irrigator, which paper
Is opposed to equal suffrage:
Thanking you in advance for your
courtesy in giving your valuable space
to submit to the readers of your edl-
torial leader in last weeks Irrigator
few Of the reasons that underlie wo-
mans demand for the ballot and our
belief that the men of Oregon are
now ripe enough in chivalry, patriot
ism and justice to extend 1t to us
even II we should not ask for II
(though we have been asking for 1t
70 rover 80 years,) says Mrs. Duni-
way.
LIST. Our desire for the ballot il
based on the Declaration OF Inde-
pendence and the Constitution of the
United States. Women asked for the
ballot In the early formation of the
government through Abagail Adams
(for whom I was named) who. by the
way, was the wife of one president
and the mother of another.
But the new republic was not ripe
for the innovation at that time; and
the Constitutional convention of 1887
said to women, wait A republican
form Of government is only an ex-
pertinent as yet. When we have made
success of the experiment, It will
be time enough to admit their moth
ers and wives"
Abagail Adams wrote to her hus-
band In reply to this decision. saying
in part, "If you do not admit women
TO an equal share with. you in the
affairs and councils OF the nation we
will fcment a rebellion greater than
than OF the revolutionary war"
And from that day to the present
women have not ceased by such hon.
orable and peaceful and logical ef-
forts as they have from time to time
been able to compass, to make the
prediction good. True, they stepped
aside apparently, during the war of
1912. the Mexican war and the war
of the rebellion, and turned their at
tention to protecting their homes,
nursing the wounded soldiers, bury
ing the dead (the sons OF their periD,
and tiling the soil. only to redouble
their efforts with the cessation Of hos
til!ties. until today they are organized
from the Atlantic to the Pacific in
united effort to make Oregon the ban
ner state of the ocean bordered Union.
in opening wide the gates of liberty
to the pioneer mothers OF Oregon
and invite them to enter and be free.
To offset your contention that
equal rights for women have brought
harm to the states and homes where
women vote, beg leave to cite you
10 any reputable man in our neigh
boring state OF Idaho fer proof that
the woman voter Is Just as womanly
as her less fortunate sister across the
imaginary line over which II she
should step, she would be disfranchis-
ed.
In this connection please consult
the governor of Idaho and his staff,
the members OF the bench and bar,
the heads of all schools and universi-
ties. the clergy and last, but by no
means least, the wives, mothers and
grown daughters of these men, whose
voluntary testimony in favor OF equal
suffrage we have on file in our Ore
gon headquarters in sufficient guam
tity to I'LL many issues Of your other
wise excellent and enterprising news
paper.
Thousands OF Oregon women are to-
day engaged in teaching thousands of
Oregon school children, girls and boys
together, that governments derive
their !ust powers from the consent
of the governed" Other thousands OF
Oregon women are paying taxes to
support a government in which they
are, az yet, allowed no representative.