The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-04-10
WOMAN SUFFRAGE
North Bennington Pastor Urges
Votes for Women

portion Of the people OF Vermont
we're wrong in their hope that the
people OF these United States might
have the privilege Of saying whether
the women OF this country should
have the right OF suffrage. The rea-
sons for a negative vote upon the
proposition 70 submit the amendment
TO the various states and the state
ments embraced In the reasons have
also raised some questions. The
heading OF the article holds forth the
caption. State Rights Endangered"
In the article the Senator states.
The government of the United
States Is a union OF independent
states each OF which is sovereign In
all governmental powers except the
few which have been delegated 20
the general government and which
are clearly specified In the constitu-
ton" DO not both the caption and
the statement have states right
flavor? This reads like a strict con-
struction of the constitution indeed.
Has not our country made It's pro
gress in the power OF a liberal con-
struction of the constitution? The
implied powers in the constitution
have made possible our country's ad-
vance. The decisions OF Chief JUS
tice Marshall. which breathed life in
TO the constitution, were they not
made upon the principle OF the i'm
piled powers in the constitution? The
arguments OF Webster in reply TO
Hayne, which supplied the moral am
munition for the defenders OF the
flag and the lovers of the union, were
they not drawn from the same
doctrine with reference to amend.
ments charging the power Of the PEG
pie may be seen in the vote upon the
seventeenth amendment, giving the
people the right to choose the United
States senator's: the states which
did not ratify this amendment were
Alabama. Florida. Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana. Maryland. Mississippi,
South Carolina, Virginia; all South
ern states; the only other states
which did not ratify were Delaware.
which is quite southern in sentiment,
and Rhode Island and Utah.
AS to Vermont's jealousy OF her
sovereign rights. when Vermont ask
ed to be received as one OF the states
of the Union. did she not enter the
Union to be, not apart from il, but a
part of it? II she lost the privileges
of independently. which were privileg
es OF sovereignty, she gained the
greater privilege of being one Of the
family that make up great, prosper
Gus. free people. We are not forty
eight independent members, but one
body composed of forty-eight related
members. "E Pluribus Unum" still
has the emphasis upon the unum.
The tendency OF today is toward a
recognition OF the oneness OF this PEG
pie and an ever-increasing number
are placing the emphasis there, and
dealing with public questions in tina.
lighs.
The question also came to mind
whether the reason for a refusal TO
allow the people to vote upon an
amendment granting women the
right to vote. because ut is the I'M
qualified rigth of each individual
state to determine for itself the quail
ifcations required of those TO whom
she gives the right Of suffrage is
altogether correct? Some power has
in the fifteenth amendment decided
ly this right upon the part Of the SOW
ereign states. That amendment reads,
THE right of the citizens OF the
United States to vote shall not be de
MED or abridged by any state on ac-
count OF race, color, or previous con-
ditions of servitude." Some of us find
difficulty to understand why the same
power that said to the sovereign
states the right of citizens to vote
shall not be denied or abridged by
any state on account Of race, color or
previous condition of servitude can
not add the words, cor SEX. Upon the
SONbTelSn Sldlc VI ' Ci liOltl tht Nudii
fcation of the fifteenth amendment
rests, and would rest, even II Yer
mont we're a state in the South and
opposed to it.
Nor can we help questioning the
force of the argument based upon the
difference in the population OF states
Arizona, Colorado. Utah and Wyo
ming are selected, with a population
of only 1,522.s94. Then it is stated
that ''in the ratification of the propol
ed amendment these would have foul
times the voting strength of New
York iwth her population of over mt
millions" But, in all matters of leg
islation that comes before the Unitet
States senate, does not Wyoming
with a population of only 1895 hav,
, as much as great New York with he
I population of nine millions? If tn
argument from disparity of popula
ton is to prevail. then the wron
. done is in the United States senate
! where the power of states is equalls
ed. In respect to amendments to tn
constitution, why not come neare
home and deal with our own Ne,
England? The little state of Rhod
Island with a population of only 542