Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-02-04
Taxation without Representation.

md this discovery Is founded upon the TACT
hat minors and foreigners. as well as We
men, cannot vote although their property
nay be subject to taxation. This is con-
enient kind of an argument. and no doubt
imilar methods of reasoning occurred t.
ling George in answer to the war cry OF
he revolution, The American colonies
we're doubtless not the only colonies Of
england who We're taxed, without being
represented. At bestthe argument amounts
O this the government tyrannizes over
minors and foreigners as much as it does
over women-therefore it does not tyran-
nize over women. The criminal who
,hould make reply to an Indictment for
murder, that he had killed several other
persons not mentioned in the Indictment
would have the logic of the Watchnlan
quite in his favor.
The reasoning is otherwise faulty, The
male minor or foreigner has no more rights
lhan the female minor or foreigne One
exclusion is on the ground ofage, the other
of want of citizenship. To make the illus
tration Of any value rs an argument it
ought to be an exclusion for similar
reason. 1t would hardly be an answer to
IN indictment for wilful murder to say that
killing person in self-defence was not
murder. How much would the logic be
worth which should conclude there was no
injustice in excluding women who We're
property owners from the suffrage, because
it had been deemed wise to exclude idiots
and lunatics who were property owners
The whole of the Wdtchnan's argument
is this: taxation and representation are not
always inseparable,- therefore it is Just to
refuse woman, who is IA property owner,
he right to vote, because she is Il woman
Suppose some one should turn that argu-
rnent around and say, Taxation and rep
resentation are not inseparable,-th
it is just to exclude the editors of the
Watchnean, because they are editors, from
he polls? How would our contemporary
answer that logic ?
The Wdtchndn insists that if taxation
md representation have any reciprocal re-
lation the rich man should have more
votes than the poor man. Well, this prin-
.iplei is recognized in some legislation, es-
pecially where the question is wholly fl
nancial one. The laws authorizing towns
o aid railroads generally requires the as
sent of ut least a majority of the grand
list in order to pledge the credit of the
own, The difficulty of recognizing it al
together is that most legislation and expen-
liture of public moneys affect personal
lights as well as property rights, and the
| jealousy Of any invasion of personal
rights i'll this country is enough to make it
| evidently wise to give the individual a
vastly greater influence in the State than is
given to property. But how is this an ar
gument in favor of depriving n woman OF
my vote either as an individual or prop
erty-owner ?
The Hatchmau, after all. sees a relation
between taxation and voting, and evidently
thinks that the tyranny will come in when
the legislature lays poll tax upon those
who cannot vote. But do all men pay a
poll tax ? And why are men who do not
pay a poll tax allowed to vote, if that tax
is an equivalent for the ballot
But why need the Hutchnan occupy
nearly two columns to show that ABBY
Smith, of Glastonbury, Connecticut, is not
oppressed. although she is taxed, and vet
is allowed no voice in saying how the mon
ey thus taken from her shall be expended
"A right given to the poorest apd most I'M
intelligent man in that town The writer
of that article has one answer that Will
him is conclusive, viz: Abby Smith is {;
woman, and therefore she shall have No
voice in making the laws which she mus
submit to, or in voting the taxes which she
must pay. When men are thus treated they
call it tyranny, and fly to arms and inau
gurate new epoch in the struggle for the
rights of man. To do less they declare
would brand them as slaves; and for now
almost hundred years they have celebra
ted the anniversary of their declaration o
emancipation from that servitude The
stain of chattel slavery has but recently
been taken out of our constitution anC
erased from our flag; how long shall the
servitude of woman remain blot upon {
government that pretends to rest upon the
principle that all are equal in right ?