New-York tribune., 1913-05-18
IN ROMAN TIMES


the law, "the women eyinced their cNut4u- nd IN
umph by going in procession through ne - .V
dzcned with their now legitimate inory -. .or seF-
eral DAYS thereafter publicly showed their >a'is
faction IN the signal victory they had ,- ne an
tiquated ideas OF such old-faShloned men ,~.o 'Ne
Censor
EOR many wears thereafter the Roman ..-.,iators
s,udiously avoided interference wiki feminine rgntS
and privileges; grateful doubt, that no t'.foa'A'
mon on their own domains was attempted o.. parry
whose strength in public affairs had been ,o Si'H
demonstrated. In IS b. {, however, there rose .
situation that brought forth renewed feminine station
for equal rights and evoked the precise argument no"
advanced that 20 deny those rights was e. permit ''N
alton without representation.
At that time shortly after the assassination q julius
Cesar, the rriumvrs Anthony, Octavlus and Leiiaus
were in sore need Of funds with which 20 doral ,NutnseS
of the civil war then raging between them an- bu'u
and CaSsuS After eNhauStlng every other "c',s =.
raising money. II was proposed 20 impose it,. W." -
TAX upon women, 10 hc based upon the ln.FiduSls
wealth in each case. Immediately there CURED
repetition Of the scenes already described Headed ny
Hor,cnsa the daughter Of the famous orator toT'ch
si,Is, crowd OF women forced their way ino 'ae PFC
ence of the Triumvrs, and Iiortcnsia made rring C
dress. which, according 10 Romes grca, ra,'"1ci"H
was "an honor 20 the sex.
why should we pay taxes. cried this anccr, Poria
when We have no part IN the honorS' the co'n"'o
the statccrait for which You contend agMn> one '"
other with such harmful rcsultS2
When Horensia had thus spoken. says AppAn te
triumyrs were angry tha, the women had dared 70 a
pear in public and ordered the hcors 10 cr|e tHyln
away from the tribunal; but owing to the cries OF 'ls
multitude outside they sad that they would pospoN
consideration of the matter until the next da}. .
Nevertheless because OF the extreme need oi me ,i
The bill was passed II is noteworthy that ther, we i
the first instance OF women publicly arguing that '"N,
ton without representation IS unlawful Also j is ~.
first instance where the authorities found necessary
put down the public demonstration caused oL SUI SUI.
arguments with the aid OF the police authone, ioi ~
"hctors' nothing more nor less than 'hc "l''''
equivalent Of the London boobies.
SUCH rapid progress did feminine influence ;niGs s
~ from this time onward that find the TeraT N"o'
spectacle Of a Senate, composed exclusively OF "oh'i
existing in Rome At about 220 \. D. during the eisn
Emperor Elagabulus. This female Senate was Pe.
side over by the mother OF the Emperor ana ma. 80:
lutte and exclusive control over all questions per''io
70 dress etiquette, and amusemenS. and there ""S -"
appeal from its decision. :,,
The immense progress made by women III mn an
Rome in regard to those rights which in more iiGo
times are not questioned particularly those as 70 u
together with the daring and logical arguments -. @
vanccd by them when they entered into puDhc ClSt te
sions in relation thereto, evidence that bu' lo
untoward end of the Roman Empire modern "o''''
suffrage would have found a complete precedent