The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-08-01 00:00:00

Corraspanbmte.
•
AN ANSWER TO
_MBS_GRUNDY ABOUT THE

SUFFRNGE.

to the Editor!),

DRAB ACES. DARRDY,—I have read your spirited letter
on the late elections, and find you more spirited than
ever, and for this very reason rather wool-gathering on
the " shubjecd," I will try then to write snore plainly,
as they say I sin fitted more than you for the aforesain '
suffrage. Listen, then:
The other day I was one of a party of 20, or grand
tea fight; we were the Browns, the Jonesee, the Robin-
eons, the Thompson', and the Stniths--aome with their
AMA and little ones. Fancy more than twenty " indi•
widles" with only ono vote Still many more had par-
took somehow of the late elections. My husband,
Brown, had a black eye. Jones had recived a sabre out,
Robinson had been ducked in a pond, while one Smith,
the poser; bad had his shop broken into, and the other
Smith. the publican, had nearly been killed by a brick.
bat. Brown said to me—" Never mind, wily, the others
have got the sack, but we have got the mill, not to gi ind
down the poor people, but to grind corn for them ; and
' depend on it, out of the mill shall come a bran-new
parliament; the malt-ta,s will be done away with ; and,
last not least, all females shall have a vote who can
manage the rule of 3!" Hereupon they all laughed.
I confess I woe "fißbboogs,ted," far 1 thoeglit the rule
of 3 mea.it the woman who can manage Misband end
children, and ft moth, I manage them pretty well. Then
the thought flashed on me that it might mean the rule of
England, Scatland, and Ireland, but this could not be,
for that rule leaves always ground for PAIIIIO plaint or
other, in spite ,of the old sayl Britons never shall
be slay," l" It i true the vying does not say, they
I nt ver shall Is fleeced. . .

Howev r, as I don't mi ri • my words, and like to
make • coati breast of it, I said to my husband—
" Brown, I fear you make to, much of your mill, who
may turn a will puff, which yet is better than a mill
pond (n inking at the soused party), and the Malt-tax
may be too eiindin( for men; but the tea tax, Brown,
'hat is what mai ently oor cernins feinalesjand the
tea tax is w at I 0.11 oar rule of 3, for it makes us pay
three tint a the value of the article ; only on this
ground-'all females should have the suffrage. Had they
it, they would soon remove the obnoxious tax.
Meanwhile, it is not the increase Or extension of
the suffrage that will bring on any good reform, If the
ballot can prevent bribery, drunkenness, and violence,
then we must claim the ballot, and not care about six
or five pounders. For these would not know the rule of
3 as I understand it, and they, the masses, or them
asses, would continue to be whipped in like cattle and
sheep with their owner's mark on their backs, only
bringing more fools to the market.
Then, believe me, all of you, whatever be the numher of
elebtorti, the ballot would be the best thing to manage,
quiet* and safelyi the rule of a. Quern, Lords, and
C07711710n.g. - .

Some people call it the rule of 4, becalms° they add
the Press. Till better times we may call it the rule of
t or 6, because scribes and publicans manage the
elections I

Yours sincerely,
MARY BROWN.
the eompany approved my politics, and the
whole party, containing dne eleatOr AO twenty non-
electors, made for me a show of above forty han4, just
like the hustings, showing a show of hands is • Mere
double-handed show.