Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/825

 THE INTERNATIONAL WOMAN SUFFRAGE ALLIANCE 809 international organization and was adopted at each meeting for some years afterwards. It was called a Declaration of Principles and read as follows : r. Men and women are born equally free and independent mem- of the human race, equally endowed with intelligence and ability and equally entitled to the free exercise of their individual rights and liberty. The natural relation of the sexes is that of inter-dependence and cooperation and the repression of the rights and liberty of one sex inevitably works injury to the other and hence to the whole race. 3. In all lands those laws, creeds and customs which have tended m restrict women to a position of dependence, to discourage their education, to impede the development of their natural gifts and to subordinate their individuality have been based upon false theories and have produced an artificial and unjust relation of the sexes in modern society. 4. Self-government jn the home and the State is the inalienable right of every normal adult and the refusal of this right to women has resulted in social, legal and economic injustice to them and has intensified the existing economic disturbances throughout the world. 5. Governments which impose taxes and laws upon their women citizens without giving them the right of consent or dissent which anted to men citizens exercise a tyranny inconsistent with just rnment. 6. The ballot is the only legal and permanent means of defend- ing the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" pro- nounced inalienable by the American Declaration of Independence and accepted as inalienable by all civilized nations. In any repre- tive form of government, therefore, women should be vested with all the political rights and privileges of electors. ORGANIZATION OF THE ALLIANCE. The International Woman Suffrage Committee, which had formed at a conference in Washington, D. C., in February, 1902, and adjourned to meet in Merlin in June, 1904, was called to order on June 3. in the Prince Albert Hotel by the chairman, !'. Anthony, who was warmly greeted by the women of all countries. The following report of this and subsequent mec 1 rom the Minutes: The program 1 by the oflicer .-idopicd as the r of business. Dr. jur. Anil- irg of the C.erman ociation delivered a cordial address of welcome and VOU VI