New-York tribune., 1876-05-06
TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION

LETTER PROM TIE MISSES sMTIi-PROPIRTf
TAKEN FROM THEM WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT
UNJUST DECISIONS OF JUDGES.
TO the Editor Of the Tribune
SII 1t somewhat adds to our pride to find
ourselves noticed in so celebrated paper as that OF
Horace Greeley who among the first to print letters
favor abolition OF Slavery at time when few
editors dared refer TO the subject You give us more
credit for pluck than deserve We were forced into
our present situations for we had the least idea of
resistance to taxes until used so haTshly ana
unawfy. after being expressly told by the collector
that could wait long s we pleased by paying one
per cent month Then In three or four weeks, without
giving than ten minutes warning he drove on
our cows New Years Day and sold them at the sign post
Would not this arouse the revolutionary spirit Of fore
fathers which inherit well m N, though tney
have gained none Of the advantages Of this revolution for
they would well off under the mother country One OF
tie at the COW auction week ago stepped up
10 our carriage though not in it, being close by
the auction block and said to lady there that we ought
not 10 complain for able TO pay taxes, and
had everyt thing done for the highway worked for u.s.
and nothing TO do but enjoy ourselves just as the master
said 10 the slaves: Happy dogs We take care of them
They have trouble to to what they eat drink, or
wear" And may be robbed of what they earn,
because the men to them and aEe their property
into their hands and do with 1t rs they please With
out the OwDer having word to say in the matter.
the property thatpays the tax and not the owner OF it,
All property has an owner and the only question is shall
this property be taken from the owner without his con-
sent his having any voice in the cOncern Every man
in the Unod States will say this is wrong as it respects
himself. II is the very principle for which our fore
fathers fought and yielded up their lives TO establish It's
truth. Now by what kind OF logic, to fay nothing OF
reason and common sense, can woiuahs property De
taken in hat way and make it crime to d. the same
thing to man2 We are living on farm oi i3O acrth %
of il st wood, ms when our mOthtr bought IT,
Fifty Of it will soon be III The state. for We cn
not work 1t. and ;he remaining 30 on TIE street ANA
the Connecticut River enriched by ircsleis ana We
suppose there can be no beterand The town sold 10 an
ugly noieGb0r more tan S2oOo worm oi lhs rel cse
tax OF less than 80, eakng their own laws 10 ron
women whicn say expressly that movable pro%ry
must be taken instead 0f real estate anu IL was hDub-
dainty proved in court that there was more ihah
oouoe enough on the premises to satisfy the tax Ms
too can change the regular JUDGE ana put one on te
bench who they know will decide III tAcir i1Nor:
reason and force them to pay an execution ny
attaching share al bans stock ana selling al tc sish
cow auction. which OF course We also ATTENDED For hs
Illegal decision Of George G. Sumner of Hartford we
canuot but he obstinate woman, IN beng 81 out
rageUusly d. and no redress new collector called
propeIy enough before him satisfy his dem nds uor
We supposed he had tie same power as tie old cor
ecfOr who told could take all We had II he chose
but should not aid him in doing II we would DC Eid
TO keep the Douse If could. Le seemed to DE more
IiSc OF and disccInmrni tan amy oi tit Oh
fcars of the town we have teen, though The deputy
sheriff appears we'll We should not thnk he wOnid
display another public sale OF our property ts cente
nial year. ., A.,
As Somc OF your readers may be subscribers 10 the
forthcoming Elbe translation OF julia l.. Smith,
woud mention that fear IL Will not be ready Tor
distribution before the first week in May. ii II Gca
us have written 10 many cor
respnndcns tLor, and that IL would come on the
first Of AprI As We have Appropriated al. our bink
sT0cE in Hartford to pay the printing oi this Bible
We homo we shall not bo forced there again to attend
another auction sale at the Courthouse and then We
sEsU have about hall our taxes taken OF, for they
ssese our bank stock as they did our iarn
we have some sOldcc IA toe matter.
GllstOiltuyu, Aprl 20, 1876 JULIA AND ADBI SMITH.