rly in the year 1874, memorials from societies in different parts
of the State were sent to the legislature, asking "that all taxes
due from women be remitted until they are allowed to vote." The
most active of these anti-tax societies was the one formed in
Rochester through the efforts of Mrs. Lewia C. Smith, whose
earnestness and fidelity in this, as in many another good word and
work, have been such as to command the admiration even of
opponents--a soul of that sweet charity that makes no account of
self. A hearing was appointed for the memorialists on January 24,
and the journals[227] made honorable mention of the occasion.

The centennial was approaching and the notes of preparation were
heard on all sides. The women who understood their status as
disfranchised citizens in a republic, regarded the coming event as
one for them of humiliation rather than rejoicing, inasmuch as the
close of the first century of the nation's existence found one half
the people still political slaves. At the February meeting of the
association, Mrs. Blake presented the following resolution:

_Resolved_, That the members of this society do hereby pledge
themselves not to aid either by their labor, time or money, the
proposed celebration of the independence of the men of the
nation, unless before July 4, 1876, the women of the land shall
be guaranteed their political freedom.

In their own way, however, the members of the society intended to
observe such centennials as were fitting, and so preparation was
made for a suitable commemoration of the battle of Lexington. They
held a meeting[228] in the Union League Theatre, the evening of
April 19, to protest against their disfranchisement. The journals
contained fair reports, with the exception of _The Tribune_, which
sent no reporter, and closed its account next day of many
observances elsewhere by saying, "there was no celebration in New
York city." Several of the papers published Mrs. Blake's speech:

Just as the first rays of dawn stole across our city this
morning, the century was complete since the founders of this
nation made their first great stand for liberty. The early April
sunshine a hundred years ago saw a group of men and boys gathered
together, "a few rods north of the meeting-house," in the
Massachusetts village of Lexington. Un-uniformed and
undisciplined, standing in the chilly morning, that handful of
pat