The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-10-13
WOMAN SUFFRAGE ENDORSED
Republican Platform In Vermont
Is For 1t.

| NuOliu6 the NdllOndl iNtPhbiANpi
| Where does that leave the
| Republican party in Vermont on the
: Suffrage question issue? Has it given
its pledge through the national plat
/ form to the passage of a suffrage bill
in the coming legislature?' 1t GER
tainly has.
When men Of prominence in this
country and in Congress asked to
have the suffrage plank in the Nation
al platform Interpreted, Senator
| Sutherland, one OF the greatest auth
critics on the constitution in Congress
said: The Chicago platform adopted
by the Republican party definitely
commits that party to the extension of
! the right Of suffrage to women Sen
/ ator Borah declares, THE suffrage
plank of the Republican platform is an
unqualified endorsement OF woman
suffrage, and favors it as a matter Of
Justice, This is not subject to pos
sible ambiguity
| For the first time in history, the
candidate of che of the great political
parties for president-Mr. Charles e.
Hughes--is on record as fayoring i'm
mediate federal and state action for
enfranchising women. Mr.. Hughes is
recognized as one of the most brilliant
legal lights in this country and he
says: Il endorse the declaration in
the platform in favor of woman suf-
frage, Opposition may delay, but in
my Judgment cannot defeat the move
ment, nor can | see any advantages in
the delay which can possibly Offset its
disadvantages. Facts should be
squarely met and the subject removed
from political discussion" Mr. Hughes
sees in this plank nothing to hinder
hearty cooperation and complete unity
as women voters are not an untried eX-
pertinent, but a tested fact in twelve
of our states. Where women have been
voting for periods of from five to
forty years, no disaster has come to
pass as a consequence and this fact
should speak for itself.
MIR. George A. Shaw of Cleveland.
Ohio, one CT the republican candidates
for governor has well said; 1T is UNI
fair to let one tax payer vote and not
let another tax payer vote"
Governor NJ. Alexander says wo-
mans suffrage in Idaho is looked up
on as an inherent right. II is accept
ed by both sexes as one of the funda-
mental principles of government. 1t
has elevated civic pride, cleansed the
body polite. elevated mems opinion of
women. multiplied marriages. sancti-
fled happy homes and created gen
eral condition of contentment and
prosperity as probably nothing else
could accomplish Idaho has worked
out this problem in its own way and
will never depart therefrom.' This
endorsement should have weight with
honest, well meaning citizens.
The Rutland Herald admits that the
Republican party Of this state has en-
dorsed the twenty articles in the Ma
tional platform, but believes that the
Republican party of Vermont has only
formally" placed itself on record in
behalf of the principle of equal suf-
frage and is not pledged to carry it in.
to instant and immediate effect
The Burlington News cannot be-
lieye that so many massive minds at
the convention could have made the
fatal error of pledging themselves TO
anything specific and suggests that
the only safe" way is to have nothing
to do with the suffrage plank. Why
single out this plank as a target? If
one is to be ignored, why not throw
out every other issue, and so estab-
lish a uniform manner of treating
party pledges? Were they created
non-suspecting and we'll meaning
voters? We're they formulated with
the deliberate intention of evading or
ignoring everything specifically men,
toned or given a blanket endorsement
in the platform? Are we to infer that
planks say little and mean less or
nothing at all?
Just what is the purpose of plat
form?" Would this seem to We very
proper question for the st. Adams
Messenger to ask? Presidential can
didate Hughes has already answered
this question. He says,-"A party
platform would seem to be a definite
pledge. a practical program and | de-
sire to honestly interpret its spirit and
meaning
1t would seem that the Bennington
Banner Immediately and correctly in
terpreted the Vermont Republican
plank by a heading reaching across
the sheet thus
THE Republicans of Vermont in
convention assembled have finally
swallowed the whole woman suffrage
demands.-Greetings Sisters"
The suffragists Of this state both
men and women, certainly construe the
Republican National and state plat
forms as endorsing suffrage for wo-
men, and they look to this party to re-
deem their pledge. They can thus
place themselves on record for all
, time. as being honest and trustworthy
in their position If they do this, it
, will rebound to their eternal credit.
II they fail, il will be their eternal
shame and dishonor. We shall give
them credit for desiring to be just and
fair until we are compelled to believe
otherwise.
Now when the suffrage question
! comes up in the Vermont legislature,
as it surely will, the man who has the
! courage to oppose to it may very pro
| perly be considered a man outside any
and all political parties, an irrespon-
sible person not worth listening to as
I O..., IL d.