For Woman's Rights

★ Mrs. Madeleine Arqash has put forward a proposal, which she published in the newspapers, calling for the formation of a working committee, comprising representatives of all the women's associations, to take upon itself the defense of woman's rights.

She has asked the government to set aside a compartment in Parliament for the educated woman, and a compartment in the Municipality, in the Palace of Justice, and in all councils and conferences — to be attended in rotation by the members of the women's associations, so that woman may observe, learn, and acquaint herself with the course of life in all its aspects, in preparation for the exercise of her right at man's side.

Mrs. Arqash adds: And after all this, if the men in power remain bent on refusing to give us our rights in full, it will be for us to depart from the rule of gentleness in our plan — for rights are not granted; they are taken. And it behooves us to prove our existence in decisive fashion.

She proposes as the first step: we women, in all countries, must join hands and, at need, refuse to pay the taxes due from us until we obtain our political rights.

She ends her petition by saying: We demand our rights not to resist men and to oppose them, but to share with them in the building of this homeland; for there is no escaping that men and women must live together, and therefore the building of the world will not be solid unless the two parties join in founding and buttressing its structure.