OREGON STATE WOMAN SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION – February 13, 1883

Scott Duniway continued as Vice President At Large of O.S.W.S.A. the next year and read the following annual report during the afternoon session of the eleventh annual convention’s first day, meeting in Y.M.C.A. Hall. Obviously feeling unappreciated, she complains–in ways both subtle and not–that she continues to bear the heavy financial burden of her office herself, and calls for establishment of a campaign fund.

Once again, the text is taken from minutes published in the New Northwest, February 15, 1883.1 Other copies may be found in Mss. 432B, vol. 16, pp. 33, 35, Oregon Historical Society, and in Scrapbook #2, p. 44, Abigail Scott Duniway Papers. The Daily Oregonian also published the minutes on February 14-16, including this address on the 14th. Minor variations other than capitalization and punctuation are footnoted.

In November, 1881, I visited the Washington Territory Legislature, and addressed the honorable body in a joint convention assembled for the purpose of hearing an equal rights argument, in company of a large attendance of spectators, including the Governor2, the Territorial Secretary3, the United States Marshal4, and their families, and many other prominent individuals, all of whom accorded the appeal the most profound attention.

To the surprise of almost everybody, and amid the general rejoicing of the better elements of Olympian society, the House of Representatives passed the Woman Suffrage bill at its very next session by a majority of two, when that branch of the Assembly adjourned for the remainder of the day. The wildest excitement prevailed, and the topic of equal rights formed the theme of conversation in all circles. The Council very soon reached the bill in the5 regular order, and, to the surprise of those who had not expected the House to vote affirmatively upon the question, the higher body, to which the women had looked confidently for assistance, refused to concur by a majority of two, thus leaving the question to a tie vote on joint ballot, and, of course, the bill was lost.6

I continued my labors in Olympia for a brief season, when, learning that it would be impossible to reach a reconsideration of the vote, I returned to Portland, and went on with my work in various parts of Oregon until September, 1882. This work consisted in part of my weekly labors connected7 with writing a serial story and furnishing regular editorial correspondence for the New Northwest, traveling about constantly and lecturing four times per week upon the average, canvassing for the paper, and forming local Woman Suffrage clubs wherever the outlook was favorable for the same.

Since my last report was submitted, I have lectured on 296 different occasions, confining my work to Oregon principally, though I have spent in all four weeks in Washington Territory. I neglected this year to prepare and keep a tabulated statement of receipts and expenditures. I tried it for two months, and the balance on the wrong side of the ledger became so large that I feared to keep it up, lest the unpleasant reflection over statistics would so discourage me that I would not have the heart to carry the work to completion. I managed, however, by the sale of my books and by collections at lectures to meet the most of my traveling expenses without drawing upon the finances of the New Northwest, and have had no help outside of my own resources in carrying on the work, except a fund of $10.50 which remained in the treasury from the last convention, which sum was paid over to me by order of the Executive Committee to apply on traveling expenses in visiting the Washington Territory Legislature. The citizens of Yakima, W.T., also tendered me a benefit in November of last year, from which I realized $53, as proceeds of my farewell lecture in that enterprising city.

The work in the Oregon legislature at its last session was especially satisfactory in results, the Legislature having, by its nearly unanimous action, acceded to our demands as far as the state constitution would permit.8 A grand ratification jubilee was held at the Opera House in Salem in honor of the9 members of the Legislature, at which spirited and excellent speeches were made by Senators Siglin10 and Humphrey11, Mrs. H. J. Hendershott12, Col. C. A. Reed13 and Mr. W. S. Duniway14. The expenses of that meeting, including hall rent, music and carriage hire, amounted to $32, of which I paid $25, Col. Reed $5, and Dr. C. H. Hall15 $2, I meeting my share of disbursements by dress-making nights and mornings during the entire legislative session. I mention these facts that the public may see that sacrifices must be made by somebody if we would succeed in keeping this movement before the people.

The outlook, among intelligent men, is favorable. If the vote upon this question could be left to brains only, there would be no doubt as to our ultimate success. But we know it is not brains alone16, but numbers, that win at the ballot-box; therefore we must be diligent in our efforts to secure the affirmative votes of numbers.

I have nothing to recommend further than has already been suggested by our worthy President.17 We must have a campaign fund, and it is hoped that this convention will name committees to secure the necessary means to reach every voter in the State with arguments to stimulate pride, awaken patriotism, and arouse enthusiasm. We need the co-operation of intelligent, influential and wealthy men, and we earnestly urge them to “come over into Macedonia and help us.” Oregon’s grand opportunity has come. She can lead the van in this great march of liberty if her sons shall will it. We look to men for aid, and our experience in the past emboldens us to hope that we need not look to them in vain in the future.

    NOTES

    1. Minutes of the third and fourth days appeared the following week, February 22. [↩]
    2. William Augustus Newell (1817-1901): born Franklin, Ohio; graduated Rutger’s College, New Jersey; studied medicine at University of Pennsylvania, becoming accomplished surgeon; elected to Congress, 1846, 1848; elected Governor, New Jersey, 1856; returned to Congress, 1864; failed candidate for Governor, 1877; governor, Washington Territory (appointed by Rutherford B. Hayes), 1880-84; woman suffrage first adopted in territory during his term, 1883 (Honeyman; Bancroft, History of Washington 282). [↩]
    3. Nicholas H. Owings (1836-1903): born Indianapolis, Indiana; educated Old Seminary; graduated law school, Northwestern Christian University; practiced law, Indianapolis; enlisted in Clay Guards to protect White House at outbreak of Civil War; served on staffs of Generals Grant and Sherman during war, resigning as lieutenant colonel, 1865; special agent, then assistant superintendent, U.S. postal department; Washington territorial secretary, 1877-89; instrumental in preventing anti-Chinese riots in Olympia, February, 1886; Republican state senator from Thurston County, 1889-92; died of apoplexy on 26th anniversary of appointment as secretary (“N. H. Owings”; Morning Olympian 6 Feb. 1903, 7 Feb. 1903, 8 Feb. 1903; Snowden 4: 343-44). [↩]
    4. Charles Hopkins (1819-1899): born Genoa, New York; lived in Far East as youth; studied law under Henry Welles of New York state supreme court; merchant, Naples, New York; moved to San Francisco, 1849, opening mercantile; following fire, moved to Petaluma, California, opening another mercantile and admitted to bar; following another fire, returned to San Francisco, expanding business to include lumbering in Milwaukie, Oregon; married Lucy S. Baker, daughter of Col. E. D. Baker; quartermaster at Vancouver during Civil War; after war, entered hardware business, Portland; Washington territorial U.S. Marshal, 1875-84; settled in Seattle, 1889; in retirement, became accomplished scholar of languages and Shakespeare; died following painful two-year illness (Seattle Post-Intelligencer 15 Mar. 1899, 16 Mar. 1899, 17 Mar. 1899). [↩]
    5. Oregonian: “its” [↩]
    6. The bill carried in the house, 13-11, but failed in the council, 5-7 (Larson, “Washington” 52). [↩]
    7. Oregonian: “commenced” [↩]
    8. In 1882, the Oregon legislature, by votes of 21-7 in the Senate and 47-9 in the House, reaffirmed its action of 1880 and resolved to submit a constitutional amendment approving woman suffrage to a vote of the people in 1884. [↩]
    9. Oregonian omits “the” [↩]
    10. John M. Siglin (1840-?): born in Pennsylvania; educated in Illinois; admitted to bar, 1867; settled in Coos County, Oregon, 1872; founder and editor, Coos Bay News; elected to State Senate from Coos and Curry Counties, 1880; Democrat. [↩]
    11. N. B. Humphrey (1840-?): born and educated in Iowa; admitted to bar, 1861; came to Oregon in 1865 or 1866; two-term state Representative, beginning 1872; state Senator from Linn County, 1880-84; twice mayor of Albany; Republican (Hines 1091; cf. Hodgkin and Galvin 7). [↩]
    12. Harriet Jane Vincent Hendershott (1831-1917): born Georgetown, Ohio; daughter of Benjamin Vincent; in 1848, married James Hendershott (1829-1897), Democratic state representative (elected 1866) and senator (elected 1868) from Union County; instrumental in organizing 4th of July celebration, and in manufacturing a Stars and Stripes, in Union, 1864; died in Kerbyville at 86; buried with James at Cove, Union County (Hodgkin and Galvin 111-12; J. B. Horner, “Oregonians Raise Flag When Patriotism Required Courage,” Scrapbook #267: 196, OR Hist. Soc.; “New Information on Participants on ‘The McCully Train’“). [↩]
    13. Cyrus Adams Reed (1825-1910): first state adjutant general, 1862; survived assassination attempt during Civil War; elected to state legislature, 1862, serving four terms, during which drafted military law of state (Corning 208; Clark, History 706, 710). [↩]
    14. Willis Scott Duniway (1856-1913): son of Abigail and Ben; born on donation land claim near Needy in Clackamas County; worked as printer for New Northwest and became managing editor in 1880; moved to stock range in Idaho, 1886; failed candidate for Republican nomination for State Printer, 1894; married Mary Alice MacCormac, Christmas Day, 1894, in Astoria; appointed private secretary to Governor William P. Lord, 1895 (Republican League 204; Duniway Family Genealogy; Moynihan, Rebel 224). [↩]
    15. Charles Hershall Hall (1833-?): born Lexington, Kentucky; graduated DePauw University (Indiana), 1854; joined survey party for Central Pacific Railroad route, 1855; professor of natural science, Willamette University, 1856; married Mary Waller, daughter of Alvin F. Waller, 1857; completed medical degree, 1868; professor of medicine, Willamette University, and practicing physician, Salem, beginning 1871; surgeon, U.S. Indian Service, 1869-73; president, Oregon State Medical Society and editor, Oregon Medical Reporter, 1873-77 (Hines 734-35; Lang 836; cf. Who was Who 504). [↩]
    16. Oregonian omits “alone” [↩]
    17. Harriet A. Buxton Loughary (1827-1907): prominent Oregon suffragist; born Virginia; married William J. Loughary, teacher, in Burlington, Iowa, 1848; came overland, 1864, settling first in Polk County, then Salem, finally on farm south of Amity, Yamhill County; peripatetic lecturer and campaigner wrote columns for New Northwest, 1874-85; president, O.S.W.S.A. for many years; mother of nine, eight born in Iowa (two died in infancy; six made the overland journey) and one in Oregon; nurse-midwife; regarded a brilliant speaker, Scott Duniway called her “the Patrick Henry of the new dispensation”; died of stroke (K. Holmes 115-17; Moynihan, Rebel 175). [↩]
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