The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-23
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
Argument ut Albany Against Taxation
Without Representation - What tho
Fair Sex Demand OF the Legislature.

Argument ut Albany Against Taxation
without Representation - What tho
Fair Sex Demand or the Legislature.
ALBANY, Jan. 22, 1874.
The Judiciary Committee Of the Assembly held
meeting in the Assembly Chamber this evening TO
give hearing on the petitions In favor OF grant,
ing the right OF suffrage to women and the remon-
strances against taxation without representation.
The Chamber, the galleries, the ioboies ana the
ante-rooms were crowded with ladies' and gentle
men.
mrs' Blake of New YORK, was the first to address
the committee, and spoke substantially as fol-
lows
MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE CON-
niITEs-in coming here once more to ask Tor
some good and excellent reason why they should
pc refused TO us than TO beg or persuade you TO
eenc sn aaSeT our due to put you on your
burden OF argument. BY what God given aushorJ
sy 40 you refuse 10 u.s. citizens or this State he
privileges when you claim lor yourselves 1t Isl
true that you hold the power but in excluding
us rom our equal share with you,
as we should commit were we To- stan6,
IN your places and exclude you. Having this
power you have, as II TO I'LL up the measure Of
your injustice TO US, raised to the RANK of vonr
political equals the poorest aud most degraded OF
while ago were the very outcasts OF society. We
demand by what at, authority you have done this
stupid, 80 much more degraded, so much less
moral than these men that we are unworthy 70
hearts not within u.s. we indignantly ASK
you these questions you Will perhaps
BY men that they 10 not need these poca seca
rifles or that women do not want to vote. Let us
look little at these two arguments. First as to-
this speciOus theory OF protection. 1t sounds very,
well, but let me ask, VINO Is it that women fear on
lonely roads at nignta Is 1t the members of their
protectorsPn 1t Is said that when Horace Greeley
was boy he Went to visit at farm bonse stand
that when night fell he was actually afraid to GO
home alone, because OF the wolves, and that the
Who was the protector IN this cases And
when we come TO legal matters let US see how this
theory works "a DISTINGUISHED class is always an
oppressed Glass;, said one of the greatest states
men, and to-day women find 1t very diificult to obs
tam justice in courts Of law, and small wonder,
when the Judges mold their seats by election, that
they give the preference TO voters In their rulings.
Here, again are some indications of how women's
lives are valued compared to mans property.
Matthew Fitzpatrick choked mis- wife to death last
summer at Yonkers, and was punished by i'm
prlsonment TOR five years. while the man who
robs bank gets ten or twenty years
APPOINTMENT Very iatelys in New YORK city, 9
day, while the two were walking together under
charge OF a policeman, and when the policeman
now k eoa h ne
and wife. And this is the protection we get to
console us for dlslranchisement. Ii you tell ms
s s1Ssa and meetings are LARGELY q:
nSn leave ave tnsf Sa the ~1n NS Say.
dom and security. In Virginia an election WIS
held for Postmaster at which women, being per-
ballot box, while in wyoming and elsewhere they
have faithfully discharged the new duties to
soSe Az Newp1rd In tas state the votes OF the
evidences OF the wishes OF one half OF our people,
despite the justice OF our claim, the last SIX
months have heard the decree pronounced in this
State that declares 1t 10 be crime for a woman to
claim her freedom, a crime for woman to do that
which Is every mans duty. And We must pay the
taxes ana obey the laws OF q government which
can utter such declaration as this. Do you won
with persistence and eagerness that you make
haste TO set US lree2
Miss susan B. Anthony, OF Rochester next made
an address, rehearslng the efforts OF the women of
this State In behalf OF women's rights. For twenty
years she said she pad nad herself been engaged IN
much remained to be accomplished. The time
was so., when q woman had IN, not the right
washing Tor neighbor. The fifty cents she might
earn In that way could by law, be claimed by her
had been remedled alter much effort Then as to
property. Formerly women could not hold prop
much she had contributed toward securing 1t.
This, too, had been changed for the better. so,
there had she said, been some cases OF return OF
the agony OF the revolution, so that mans work ia
very uncertain. She declared she would not cease
her efforts until man and wife were joint owners
ii their property, so tnat II the husband dies 1t
shall 60 to the wife, aud utce ver'sa.
she referred to the great injustice OF taxing
women without allowing them representation and
said that in Rochester there were 1900 women who
are property holders. These women paid one-fiith
voice in managing the affairs Of the cit city. Rings
and plunderers NAV rob the city and swell the
taxes. and all the women can do is to nay their
assessments This, however, she said. was
approaching an end The time is coming when
these women will refuse to pay the taxes levied on
their property.
Miss Anthony declared that the newly CHOSEN
Chief Justice, Waite, was . w0mans rights man,
as was also BENJAMIN F. Butler and she prOphesied
that the time was not far distant when justice
would be done to women.
Mrs. Gage followed, also commenting on the In
justice OF taxation without representation.
The hearing lasted two hours and hall and was
listened to by the vast audience with the closest
attention. the sentiments uttered by the speakers
being frequently applauded.