Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
_The Una_ could boast for its correspondents some of the ablest men
and women in the nation; such as William H. Channing, Elizabeth
Peabody, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Rev. A. D. Mayo, Dr. William
Elder, Ednah D. Cheney, Caroline H. Dall, Fanny Fern, Elizabeth Oakes
Smith, Frances D. Gage, Hannah Tracy Cutler, Abby H. Price, Marion
Finch, of Liverpool, Hon. John Neal, of Portland, Lucy Stone, and
Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
For some time Mrs. Dall assisted in the editorial department. _The
Una_ was the first pronounced Woman Suffrage paper; it lived three
years. Glancing over the bound volumes, one may glean much valuable
information of what was said and done during that period. We learn
that Lady Grace Vandeleur, in person, canvassed the election of
Kilrush, Ireland, and from her ladyship's open carriage, addressed a
large assemblage of electors on behalf of her husband, the
Conservative candidate. She was enthusiastically greeted by the
populace.
The _Maine Age_ announces the election of a Miss Rose to the office of
Register of Deeds, and remarks: "Before the morning of the twentieth
century dawns, women will not simply fill your offices of Register of
Deeds, but they will occupy seats in your Legislative Halls, on your
judicial benches, and in the executive chair of State and Nation. We
deprecate it, yet we perceive its inevitability, and await the shock
with firmness and composure."
This same year, _The Una_ narrates the following amusing incident that
occurred in the town of P----, New Hampshire: It is customary in the
country towns for those who choose to do so, to pay their proportion
of the highway tax, in actual labor on the roads, at the rate of eight
cents an hour, instead of paying money. Two able-bodied and
strong-hearted women in P----, who found it very inconvenient to pay
the ready cash required of them, determined to avail themselves of
this custom. They accordingly presented themselves to the surveyor of
the highway with hoes in their hands, and demanded to be set to work.
The good surveyor was sorely puzzled; such a thing as women working
out their taxes, had never been heard of, and yet the law made no
provision against it. He consulted his lawyer, who advised him that he
had no power to refuse. Accordingly the two brave women worked, and
worked well, in spreading sand and gravel, saved their pennies, and no
doubt felt all the better for their labor.
In the April Number, 1853, we find the following appeal to the
citizens of Massachusetts, on the equal political rights of woman:
FELLOW-CITIZENS:--In May next a Convention will assemble to
revise the Constitution of the Commonwealth.
At such a time it is the right and duty of every one to point out
whatever he deems erroneous and imperfect in that instrument, and
press its amendment on public attention.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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