much
towards rousing the colonies, was herself no less in earnest, had no
less influence than her brother. She was a member of the famous
committee of correspondence, and was constantly consulted by Adams,
Jefferson, Franklin, Hancock, Washington and all the foremost men of
that day. Through her lips was first whispered the word, separation. No
less active were the women of New England, and in 1770, five years
before the breaking out of the revolutionary war, the women of Boston
held a public meeting, and formed themselves into a league to resist
taxation. As tea was the article upon which Great Britain was then
making her stand, in order to sustain the _principle_ of taxation, these
women declared they would use no more tea until the tax upon it was
repealed. This league was first formed by the married women, but the
next day the young women met "in innumerable numbers," and took similar
action. They expressly stated, they did not do this so much for
themselves, as for the benefit of their posterity. In the country, the
women of that hour went abroad over the fields and sowed their tea, as
men sow wheat. This action of the women of the revolution was taken
three years before the famous Tea Party of Boston harbor, and was the
real origin of that "Tea Party." The women of the present day, the
"posterity" of these women of the revolution, are now following the
example then set, and are protesting against taxation without
representation. A few weeks ago I attended a meeting of the tax-paying
women of Rochester who met in the Mayor's office in that city, and
there, like their revolutionary mothers, formed a league against
taxation without representation. Meetings for the discussion of measures
are regularly held by them, and they have issued an address, which I
will read you.

_To the Women of the City of Rochester and the County of Monroe_:

After twenty-five years of discussion, appeal and work, the Women
of Rochester assembled, are prompted to advise and urge tax-paying
women of the City and County, that the time has come to act, as our
patriot mothers acted in 1770, _in protest against unjust
government_, and the action appropriate and suited to the time, is
strong and earnest protest against the violation of the Republican
principles, which compels the payment of taxes by women, while they
are denied the ballot.

By order of "THE WOMEN TAX PAYERS' ASSOCIATION of the