The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-01-14
Connecticut Rlue Laws.

The letter published elsewhere written by
lady having the somewhat unromantic
name of Abby Fl. Smith will make more con-
verts to woman suffrage among fair minded
people than a score of platform haranguers
1t is the full case set forth in plaintive way
that must appeal to every feeling Of justice in
man; and he who can find this simple protest
a source of amusement is not the man we
would choose for friend.
The story of Abby Smith and her sister is
q simple one. All their lives they have lived
in the town of Glastonbury, Connecticut,
where they own farm and manage l. credit
ably. The ladies are noted in the town for
their charity to the poor and purity of life.
Doubtless they are regarded as peculiar as
most women who choose to manage their
own farms would be at the present time.
statement, is, that in the assessment of taxes
they have been treated with unfairness. Be
ing without the ballot, the lords of creation
who in country towns and even cities have
no gallantry in the matter of taxes, extorted
from them disproportionate share of the
town revenues, and at the same time have re-
fused to so expend the money as to give
them any of its benefits.in road improvements,
etc. In consequence of this, Miss Abby Smith
and her sister went to the last town meeting,
where one of them having obtained permis-
sion to do so, in moderate and reasonable
way, set forth the facts of their oppression by
taxation while representation was denied; and
<1axr xryar J, In Tow IN
town that, as they had shown capacity for
business in the management of their own af-
fairs, they might be allowed to vote with 9TH
er taxpayers. Tho conclusion of their state
ment was that if the town persisted in prey
ing upon their property and applying it to the
advantage Of others, refusing them any voice
in its appropriation, the town would have to
take the farm, as under the present situation
they could no longer manage it proftably.
When the winter tax came along, the wo-
men declined to pay it. They at first were
told that the tax could remain unpaid so long
as they chose to pay 10 per cent interest on
the assessment which was $101.39. Subse-
quently, however, the town magnates grew
FESTIVE under the idea that two women were
resisting the majesty of the law as vested in
them and visited them with the terrors Of the
law, though in doing so they passed by roters
owing the town $4,000 taxes who preferred to
pay II per cent. interest on their assessments,
and seized and drove away seven of herd
of eight Jersey cows which were peculiar pets
of the women. In vain did they appeal for
the privilege of paying the interest granted 10
the voting tax payers. They were women
without votes and as logical consequence,
their property was at the mercy of the hard
hearted tax-gatherer.
1t may be urged that, the women were OBJ
stinate-that they might have paid
their taxes if they would-that they
are defying the law in order to
test theory that the powers ''that
be, see fit to ignore. This may all be true !;
yet the Misses Smith have ample preceden is
for their course in the very eminent founders
of the Republic. Doubtless fathers were able
to pay their taxes but they had theory that
faratin'' withnnt representation is tyranny
and true to conviction they resisted the
British government which utterly ignored
it. The municipal officers of Glastonbury
and hundreds of other towns will continue
to ignore the appeals of woman for just tax
alton and will take unusual means to collect
such assessments as they make so long as
she is deprived of the potent power of
suffrage.