The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-05-25

Iuel Ne person AANaLr Aut
qualifications OF freemen.. must be
man u years OF age. Sec. 81 VI Con
stitution; Sec. es p. s.: also Acts Of
1912. p. 4. No. 3. Sec. I.
Second. The person must be-
male citizen. native born or naiuraliz
ed Constitutional Amendment !. ..
SO. VI Constitution: Secs. 81 and So
T.. s.: also Acts OF 1912, y. 4. No. 3,
Sec. /.
Third lie must have resided In
this state Tor one whole year before
the election OF representatives. Sec.
n VI. Constitution: Sec. 81 7. S; al.
so Acts 1912. p. 4. No. 3. Sec. 1.
Fourth. tie must he OF peaceable
disposition. Sec. n Vermont Consti-
tuition.
Fifth. lie must take the freemen's
oath or affirmation. Sec. 81 and 80
VI Constitution: Sec. "a +. s.; also
Acts OF 1912. p. 4. No. 3. Sec. I.
The man who has qualified under
the above conditions may then be ac-
cepted as a voter IN "freemen's meet
ings." The words "he." his and
man" as they appear in the Constitu
ton and related to "freemen" or man
hood suffrage. cannot. In the writer's
opinion be altered or hroadened In
their scope. so as TO include "she,
her" and woman" without consti-
tutional amendment This has been
so construed by the law makers. as
reflected in the statutes. for over one
hundred years. and has never been
seriously contested so far as We can
learn. (See Page 1O4, Chapter Z, Civ
ing qualifications TO voters. Also
acts 1912, p. 4. No. 3. Secs. / and p
The Public Statutes expressly state
that voters in general elections-free
mans meetings-must be male citi-
zens, and must take the freeman's
oath. and II not citizens must become
naturalized.
a citizens civil rights under the
constitution. and citizens political
rights under the same, should not be
confused.
The Vermont frame of government
was modelled after the Pennsylvania
constitution. In that state property
owners, both men and women voted.
Vermont changed the right of suf-
rage from a taxpaying TO a manhood
basis. and added the freeman's oath.
This change by the trainers of our
Constitution is held by our best au-
thorities to have been done knowing
ly and with deliberate intent.
II there is a woman who holds the
opposite view. and who still believes
she already possesses the "qualifca-
tions of freemen" the writer would
suggest that she make a test case by
going before the board Of civil author
ity In her town or city. and ask that
her name be put upon the voting list
and then note the results. Upon re-
fusal she can then take measures to
carry her case TO the Supreme Court.
Legal Voters In Town Meeting
Both men and women are decided
ly mixed as to who constitute legal
voters in town meeting. To illus.
trate. let us refer to the Woodstock
experience At the March meeting
the women reasoned thus: If we are
eligible TO vote upon school questions
why not upon general appropriate
ions? The genial, accommodating
moderator. apparently without know
ledge of the laws permitted the wo-
men to have their way. Now note
the result The selectmen question
ed this vote and the courts sustained
them. the result being that the vote
was declared null and void, and il
was necessary to call a special town
meeting and do the work all over
/ again.
Now the qualifications of voter in
town meeting are as follows:
First. The person must be a male
citizen twenty-one years of age. Sec.
3416.
Second. His list must have been
taken in the town April LIST of the
preceding year. p. S. Sec. 400 to
494, inc. Also 500 to 511 inc. Also
Sec. 4S9 and Acts of 1910, p. 20 6 21,
No. 2S, Sec. 1 & 2.
Third. His tax or taxes must have
been paid unless specifically exemp--
ed Secs. 3416, 34l7 and 4S9. Also
Acts 1910, p. II, No. %, Sec. 2.
Voters in School Meetings
Voters in school meetings are
same as in town meetings with addi-
ton of tax paying women over 81
years of age,> as provided for in Sec.
$50 of the Public Statutes.
Taxation
There are two forms of taxation,
poll taxes, section 4s9. page 175, and
property taxes, sec. AGO to 494, page
176; also sos to 511.
The statutes expressly state that a
voter in town meetings must be "a
male citizen 81 years of age" sec.
S416, page 6s2, and must pay taxes,
sec. S417, page 6S3.
The suffrage question in Vermont
has. resolved itself into a BIENNIAL
LEGISLATIVE WRANGLE over the
poll tax provision, or lack of it, and
il would seem that the contention is
unending because some men and wo-