The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-10-25
PROHIBITION BY
VOTE OF TOWN
MEETINGS
New Move to Overthrow Present
License Law
WITHOUT A REFEREN0 U M
Bill by Senator Roy Provides for De.
cisien BY Total Vote at Annual
March Elections.

Montpelier, Oct. 24.-The woman S
suffrage issue was the leading topic
around the statehouse yesterday and
last evening. A large delegation of
suffragists was on hand to press The
claims for votes for women at pub
lie hearing last night, while delega'
ton of women opposed to suffrage
for their sex game from Burlington
to oppose the bill.
The public hearing last night was
held in the House of Representatives
hall by committees of the House and
Senate and attracted a large number
of members as well as visitors around
the statehouse. The issue is being
contested more closely than ever be-
fore in the history of the state.
Some people Gain that it is not
within the power of the Legislature to
grant general suffrage to women, for
the reason that the constitution uses
the word male in defining a citizen,
and il will be impossible to propose
any further amendments to the con
sttution until 1920, owing to the time
lock.
that the legislature can give the wom-
en- municipal suffrage, so that they
can vote on all local and town ques-
tons. whether they will give this is
another story and one yet to be told.
There viii be a public hearing be-
fore the joint temperance committee
next week Wednesday evening on the
statewide option bill This bill is
really an attempt to secure prohibit
ton without really giving a referun-
dunn on the question. The bill pro-
vides that when the towns vote on
the question of license next March, a
canvass of all the votes cast in the
state shall. be made and IL il is found
that more mo" votes than yes" have
been cast in the entire state, there
shall be no license granted in any
town.
Ii can be readily seen that this Is
a particularly outrageous form of TAX
ing away from a town any right in
the question and would prevent a
large proportion of the voters express
ing their real sentiments.
For instance, there are many voters
in every town and especially in the
rural towns and who vote no but be-
lieve and desire that other towns
should have the right to settle the
question for themselves, guided by
their own local conditions. Such vot-
ers could not express their sentiments
by the alleged referendum provided
in the bill introduced by Senator Roy,
the Democratic senator from Caledo-
MIA. II there is TO be a referendum it
should be a straightforward one on
the real issue.
A bill has been introduced by Mr.
Billings of Woodstock to allow the
members and employees at the state
house to vote for presidential elect
ors here week from Tuesday. This
was done in 1908, when the legisla-
ture did not adjourn for election.
Mr. Hapgood yesterday introduced
a bill forbidding the sale or use of
gun silencers in this state Such a
bill passed the House two years ago.
and was killed by the Senate.
Senator Barber of Windham has in
troduced bill to compel the public
service commission to fix standard
for gas and electricity to be furnished
by public service corporations in the
state supplying gas or electricity for
public use.