Year: 1874

Smith sisters of Glastonbury, Massachu-
sets, to pay taxes assessed against them,
and the attachment and sale of their cows
therefor. The course taken by the Misses
Smith in this case will call public atten-
ton most prominently to the question in
vnlvetl, and we quite ohoerfully give piaco
to the speech, letter, etc, alluded to i'll the
note which we print below, and which ac-
the request to give those papers
a place in the FREEMAN


For the Freeman.


EDITOR OF TIE FREEMAN In behalf
of the thousands in our country who Sut-
fer in like manner in silence, knowing no
redress, viii You give room in your col
umns for the speech of Miss Abby ii.
Smith of Glastonbury. and what came
of it, with the comments Of the Spring.
fcd Republican NJ.


SPEECH OF MISS ABBY II. SMITH,


Before the Torn Meeting Of GIaStondury.


Massachusetts, Norember 9TH, 1873.


1t is not without due deliberation that
we have been willing to attend this meet
ing but we had no other way of coming
before the men of the town. Others, our
neighborS, can complain more effectually
than we can, without speaking 4 word,
when they think those who rule over them
rule with injustice; but we are not put I'M
der the laws of the land aS they are-we
are wholly in the power of those we have
come to address. You have the power
over our property to take it from us when
,.l,A-a npI have ~
in the matter whatever. not even to say
what shall be done with it. and no power
to appeal to; we are perfectly defenseless.
Can YOU wonder, then, we should wish to
speak with YOU? People do not gcner-
ally hold power without exercising it, and
those who exercise it do not appear to have
the least idea of its injustice. The South
ern Shareholder only possessed the same
power that YOU have to rule over Us.
" Happy dog, he would say of his slave.
:" | have given him everything; l am the
slave and he the master; does he COM
plain? give him ten lashes." The slave
holders really thought they had done so
much for their slaves they would not leave
them. when the great consideration was.
the slave wanted the control of his own
earnings: and so does every human being
Oi Nllil H. tltlullN UtibI-S ~ Illlli W 1 N4b
not suppose the men of the town think
they have done 50 much for Us that they
have 4 right to take our money when they
please But then there is always excuse
enough where there i power. They say
all the property of the town should be
taxed for the expenses of the town. ac-
cording to its valuation and as taxation
without representation is wrong they give
6 Z
say what valuation shall be madA and
how the money can best be applied for
their benefit They meet together to con
suit who among them shall have the offices
of the town. and what salary they will
give them. All this done without ever
consulting or ailudinr to the other part OF
the owners of this property. But they tax
the other owners and take from them Just
what amount they please. We had two
hundred dollars taken from us in this way
the past wear, by the same power the rob
Der takes his money. because We are de
fenseless and cannot resist. But the rob
her would have the whole community
against him. and he would not he apt tc
come but once; but from the men of oul
own town we are never safe-they can
come in and take our money from Us lust





any Justice, any right, OF any reason in
this thing We cannot see why we are
not lust as capable of assisting in manag-
inc the affairs of the town rs the men are
We cannot possibly see why we have not
as mnch Intelligence and information, on
rs much capacity for doing business. a>
they have. Are we not rs fir-Secing. and
do we not manage our own affairs a> well
+hny- ,lo9 l.. ~ inst 70 La
womans property without her consent
than it is take Il mans property without
his consent? Those whom the town put
over us are the very dregs of society, those
who are making the town and their f;tmi-
lies continual expense and trouble, fol
which we are liable, and the authoritie:
make the town the expense of meeting tt
take off their poll tax, for they can't pay
dollar: and they have taken some from
the insane retreat and kept them in Il barr
over night to vote the next day. Now al
these things clearly prove how much more
these laWleSS men are valued by the tow
than such citizens as we are, who never
make it the least trouble or expense Sucf
men as these are set over us. and can vote
away our property, indeed, our property i.
liable for their support Now all we ash
Ol l!It LOW IL - ~ I'ttL tt> OIl stiI tNlualltN
with these mon, not to rule over them as
they rule over Us, but to be put on III
equality with them. Is this an unreasona
bic request? Do We not stand on ar
equality with them and every man in this
assembly, before the law of God? God i.
God of Justice; men and women stanC
alike in his sight; he has but one law fol
both, to which both shall be accountable
alike? Let each rise if they can by theil
way. Is it right because men are the
strongest, that they should 90 into the
women's houses and take their money from
them, knowing they cannot resist? 1t i
not physical strength that makes a tow
prosper, it is mind, it is capability to guild
/ the physical strength and put its resource
to the best possible advantage. You ar
rejecting Just half of the very element yo,
need You we'll know that IL man and hi
wife must counsel together to make tn
affairs of their household prosper; the,
must be one in the business. and if the,
are one | cannot see how one can rule owe
the other, from which idea comes all tn
disturbance between them. Ought no
this town to be one great family, all equal
interested in its government? As it is, it
government is no concern of ours what
ever. We cannot alter it if we see eve
so much injustice. No woman concern
herself about the government of the town
being placed under the men. instead c
being placed under the laws, their Who'll
business is to please the men as the slave
business is to please his master, becaus
their living comes from the men; the law
are such they can get it in no other way
The motto of our government is, 50 Pre-
claim liberty to all the inhabitants of tn
land" and here where liberty is so highl
extolled and gloried by every man in i
one-half the inhabitants are not put unde
her laws, but are ruled over by the othe
half, who can by their own laws, not her
take from the other half all they posses
How is Liberty pleased with such worship
Would she not be apt to think of her ow
sex?