The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-01-28

administration is avowedly based on the
rights of the governed. When, one
hundred years ago, our forefathers re-
helled against King George, it was in
behalf of the very principle which We
now inconsisteutly deny TO women. He
taxed the Americans arbitrarily and
disrespected their protest. Such course
wounded the self-interest and the sense
of justice of the colOnists. The rebel
lion was an expression of outraged nat
ural rights. We in these Centennial
days Toast of that resistance; but do we
know that what we praise our fOrefath-
ers is the very thing we condemn in
some good women, who respectfully
claim a voice in making the laws which
govern and tax them? Then a promi-
nent motto was, mo taxation without
representation" That is an issue here.
Why shonld not women property hold
ers feel the wrong Of arbitrary taxation
now as keenly and as justly as the fore
fathers then? Indeed, the case now is
greatly aggravated. Then, the British
government made no pretensions as
ours does TO a strictly representative
system; to respect for the ''consent Of
the governed" The Declaration of
Rights, which preceded the Declaration
of Independence, denied the right of any
sovereign power ito dispose of the life,
liberty or property without the consent
of the people" The Declaration of In-
dependence itself expressly asserts that
governments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed. If
this be true, the principle legitimately
extends to woman as well as to man.
see no reason why that fact should not
be practically recognized. Every rea-
son which gives the privilege of fran
chise to man, whether that of equity, OF
personal protection, or of political con-
sistency, gives it likewise to woman.
At least this much is clear: Every tax
paying woman should either be enfran-
chised or exempt from taxation.
This taxation Of women without al
lowing them any voice in the DISPOSE
tiOn of such tax, is a wrong whose gross
Injustice people at large do not realize
Tie opposition and Indifference grow
largely out of that fact. I knew an ex.
cellent woman in the East, who, while
her husband was living, had no word O
charity for this suffrage agitation. Hel
husband died leaving her with a large
estate. Now she managed her own af
fairs and paid her own taxes. This new
experience enlarged her sense OF Justice
She now began to feel the keen persona
wrong which government was inflictinl
on her in taking her money and ignor
ing herself; in assessing her estate anC
forbiddimg her any voice in the expendi
ture of that assessment. When talked
with her last, a revolution had takeI
place in her convictions. To stand at
distance and criticise earnest womer
asking simply that their rights nigh
be respected, was one thing to her; t
bear injustice in her own person haC
proved quite another thing.
Well, it is not easy to recognize thu
force of some arguments until our owl
experience has given them point; ye
there is a principle of fair play an,
moral equity as we'll as of political con
sistency in this matter of Woman Suf
frage which people ought to recognize
and will recognize when
. An earnest sense
or human right and veal is shown;
A hate of tyranny intense
And hearty in its vehemence, Owr
As If my sisters wrong and grievance were m
Correspondence San Jose Mercury.