Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-11-08
SELECT VARIETY.
WOMEN AND TAXES.

To FREDERICK U. TnAcy, Treasurer, and the As-
SCISSORS and other authorities of the City Of BOs-
ton, and the Citizens generally: mra
It Harriet X. Hunt, physician, q native and per
manent resident of the city OF Boston, and for
many years taxpayer therein, in making payment
of her city taxes for the coming year, begs leave
to protest against the injustice and inequality of
leyyng taxes upon women, and at the same time
refusing them any voice or vote in the imposition
and expenditure of the same. The only classes
of male persons required to pay taxes, and not at
the same time allowed the privilege OF voting are
aliens and minors. The objection in the case OF
aliens is their supposed want of interest in our in
stitutionS, and knowledge OF them. The oblec-
ton in the of minors is, the want OF SUFFICIENT
understanding. These objections certainly cannot
apply to women, natives OF the CITY, oil whose
property and interests are here, and who have ac-
cumulated, by their own sagacity and induslry,thc
very property on which they are taxed. But this
is not all; the alien, by going Though the forms
of naturalization, the minor on becoming oil age,
obtain the right of voting, and so long as they con
tinue to pay mere poll-tax Of dollar and half,
they continue to exercise IT. though SO ignorant as
not to be able to sign their names, orredd the very
votes they put into the ballot-bo1eS. Even drunk
ards, and felons, IDIOTS, or lunatcs, If men, may
still enjoy that right voting, to which no woman
however large the amount of taxes she pays, how
ever respectable her character, or useful her life
can ever attain. Wherein, your rremonstrantwould
inquire, is the justice, equality or wisdom OF this
lnat the rIgnC anu Vi tue Pait W
the community are sometimes forgotten or disre-
garded, in consequence of their deprivation OF po-
tcal rights, is strkingly eyinced as it appears to
your remonstrant, in the organization and admit
istration of the city public schools. Though there
are open in this State and neghborhood. great
multitude of colleges and professional schools Tor
the education of boys and young men, yet the city
has very properly provided two High Schools of IFS
own, one Latin, the other English, at which the
male graduates of the Grammar Schools may pur-
sue their education still farther at the public eX
pense. And why is not like provision made io1
the gitls Why is the public provision for their
education stopped short just as they have attained
the age best fitted for progress, and the preiimina-
ry knowledge necessary TO facilitate It, thus giving
the advantage of superior culture to sex, not TO
mind The fact, that our colleges and profession
| al schools are closed against females, of which
your renonstrant has had personal and painful ex-
perence-having been, in the year ls47, alter
twelve years of medical practice in Boston, Ietus
| ed permission to attend the lectures OF Harvard
Medical College-that fact would seem to furnish
an additional reason why the city should provide,
at its own expense, those means of superior educa
| cation which, by supplying our girls with occupa-
ton and objects of interest, would not only save
them from lives of frivolity and emptiness, but
which might open the way of many useful and III
cratiye pursuits and so raise them above the dr-
grading dependence, so fruitful source oi female
misery. Aa#i- stt
/ Reserying n more full exposition of the subject
to future occasions, your remonstrant IN paying het
tax for this year. begs leave to protest against the
| injustice and inequalities above pointed out.
| lf3 This is respectfully submitted. Nl-1'1''
| HARRIET X. Hunt.
| No, 80 Greene street,
! Boston, October 18, 1852. ,r