The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-01
The Rights Of Property anu woman's
Rights,

Editor Democrat-I read with great interest
your remarks rondemuaSory of those ladies who
lately presented petition to The Legislature for
| the purpose of obtaining equal rig t. under the
| law think your stricturep, being funded on
| 3 misconception CT the purpose aud object OF
those ladies', erroneous and unjust, and, with
your permission, MIR. Edityr, l will point out
whsrev' X think you err.
1 will state in advance that am a.widow and
mother: know nothing OF the petition or it's
sguers, except through tho columns OF your
journal, and will furthermore cav that IL mas
been subject OF boast with me that Southern
women have reis usly kspt aloof from joining
won ms rights sociations, free love societies,
and have NJ yer been tnctured with these isms
which have detracied much from the acknowl-
edged merits OF our Northern sisters. Hence
would deplore 1t az much NJ any one could posi-
bly, do, t. SEQ our Southern ladies' fo getting dol
lcacy and mpdestv, their leading charaeterlstics
stepping forth from tbeir true sphere aud boldly
demanding their rights to snff age, and God
knows what else besides But. az understand it,
Mr.. u itor. the ladies who Ell ned the petition re
ferred TO, had such object in view, nor are
they to be ciasaed with that strong minded Glars
in thu North, who uns themselves by demand
ing all the rights and privileges Of manhood.
No, cir; the petitioners were women, bat
demanded OF the Legislature recognition of
their rights as aooDten, but demanded certain
rights as owners OF property, or the power TO
guard that property which is denied to them be-
cause they are women. Ii men wluld do no
tious 10 deprive unprotected women of their
properly, in defiance OF all justice. women would
have no occasion to petition legislatures to al
ford tnem the means Of self-protection.
1t may be deporabe that women should petit
ton men to aft yrd them the means ct guarding
their property, that sacrei institution which all
governm nts are in ended to protect. but it Ia
still mora deplorable that the grasping ayarice Of
mon should render petitions necessary.
Let me explain AZ have said, | am widow
and mother. was left with little property,
consisting OF few SIN al t6nemeDts and some
bank stock. The latter, although paying hand
some interest, .old aud investe IN real estate.
You know Mr.. Editor, that we women are not
81 isfed with property in stocks. IL has myth
csl character; but we prefer real estate, as some
thing visible and tangible. From this property
|. prior to 1870, or ab out that period, realized
more than three hundred dollars month. sluce
this time my ssxes have increased, rents
have greatly decreased. tenants have again
and again aecamped after owing me
months rent, men whom l knew we're not pre- |
vented by want from paying; but as their prop.
erty was exempt from seizure, they laughed 10
scorn my Intellectual efforts to collect my rents,
the only means upon which mys IL and children
had to exist. The consequence has been that
year by year have gone back ward 10 the world, |
and my roperty which once yielded me hand |
some rev snue ooes 30 no more, aid ID now mort |
gagged, as | have been uuab @, with the most |
rigid economy, to meet my necessary expenses,
alter taxes, insurances and the expense OF GER
! have been told for years past, that Radical
rule and the heavy taxation imposed by the Re-
pub icans, are the causes OF cur deplorable cDn-
dilion, and really Thick this is true, and fur
thermoie was told that as soon as Democratic
government was established, that property would |
be relieved Of its excessive burdens, and we
would all s on be prosperous again. Nov, have
day by day read 10 your journal the proceedings
OF the Legislature. and cannot remember that |
have seen one single effort made to decrease
In n |
thought was the great griev nee, and which the
Democrats or Conservatives intended to lessen st
once. It Is true that ihs talary has been re
duced, and that snecure cut off, but what pur- |
can't comprehend, Unless it is to spent the
money thus saved in keeping other officials in
place. but what good comes Of this to the people,
outside Of the great tribe Of public functiona
rieR, l cannot divine.
We'll, let that be as it may, I know the great
difficulties undergone ard expenses incurred in |
lighting Packard; 20 we must. suppo 81, wait for
smother season to reap the fruit from the seed |
now coming to the real point. l have been in- |
formed that there will be- vote taken soon, |
whether tax of u per cent per aDnum, for four |
years, shall he imposed on our property for the |
purpose OF bu1 ding railroad from como remote |
place to SOM other place remoter still. have |
uUd rstood that the tax wi not bs imposed by
the vote of The proper y holders, but will be de-
by vote OF the people, indiscrimi-
nstely-that IL, by men who own property, ex-
GLIDING women who 90 il, 81 d who are more
directly Interested in the question than lot OF
V gabc nds. here to-day aud away to-
morrow, and who may te IN chased by
the gang tor gallon of whisky. | have
been very uneasy abouS this mater,
for l had hoped, that il my taxes were not iu-
ere ased, and better t mas would come with the
Nicho IL government, would work out OF debt
and eni ~ once again some measure Ut pso perIty.
But this additional debt, am afraid, will en-.
rely PROSTATE me, as am at present almost
Unable to no my own. L. aid that will re-
,eive stock to the value Of the tax, and that the
abroad will make us prosperous. But how am
r. know that this will be 20 and If it will be 80,
viii it not be several years before can hope to