Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-02-22

Montpelier. Cc3. 2l.--ISeforc the largest
gallery Of visitors which has attended any
OF the 1917 legislative sessions and after a
spirited and lengthy debate in which the
entire woman suffrage question was pret-
y thoroughly covered, inc House this
afternoon by Il yea. and nay vote Of ia to
III rejected the frs. nj tho three woman
suffrage bills which have been Introduced
SO far this year. The rejected measure,
which was introduced by the Rev. Fraser
Metzger of Randolph granted to women
the same rights ;is men to vote for pres
Dental electors. The bill was the subject
of two largely attended public hearings
at which leading Vermont women dis
cussed the question from the suffrage and
anti-suffrage standpoint. The bill was re-
ported back to the House this morning
from the suffrage and elections commit
tee with a ma ajority adverse and "A minor
ity favorable report, being the first meas
ure of the session to be so reported
SEVERAL HOURS DISCUSSION.
The discussion of the bill occupied all
OF the forenoon and large part of tho
afternoon session. Representatives Metz
ger Of Randolph. Ernest Moore of Lud-
low. Stearns of Burlington. Rowland Of
Barre city and many others. including
Bond Of Searsburg. who argued that wom-
en- voters would end the liquor problem,
supported the bill. Representatives Fen
ton of Rutland city, Phelps of Fair Ha-
ven, Pollard of Cavendish. Barrett of
Cabot and Cudworth of Londonderry op-
posed the bill. The basis Of the argu-
ments seemed to be on the one hand that
women were qualified to accept the re-
sponsibility of suffrage and should be
allowed the ballot, while on the other
hand great stress was laid upon the point
| that a majority of the Vermont women
did not wish to vote and that the Legisla-
ture should not thrust that Responsibility
upon them at the wish Of the minority.
! INTERESTING DEBATE.
Most of the arguments on both sides
were extremely interesting II not convinc-
! ing and the members and visitors laugh
ed and applauded time and again. Mr.. Fen
ton Of Rutland city alluded to experiences
of his college days when electioneering
was done amongst the co-eds of his alma
mater and the handsomest candidate wor
the office Representative Moore of Lud
low in his speech asked any of the anti
suffragists who might be within hearing
of his voice, and there were plenty, includ
ing the president of the Anti-Suffrage as
socation. to see that Mrs. MoOres name
was stricken from the anti-suffrage lists
and Representative Pollard of Cavendist
used the incident in an attempt to prove
that women voters would be unduly in
nuenced by their husbands. Representa-
tive Metzger made two remarkably abi'
speeches supporting the measure and th'
entire doctrine of woman suffrage
Emboldened by the near triumph o
the afternoon the suffrage forces o
the suffrage movement are consider
ing two strategems whereby the meas
ure giving women the same rights a.
men to vote for presidential elector
may vet become law. The first plan i
to ask tomorrow morning for re
consideration of the rejected bill ant
to have it made special order TO
next Tuesday, when it is thought tina
most of the nineteen members absen
when to-day's vote was taken. woul'
be in their seats. The suffrage lead
ers are confident that enough of tn
absentees would vote for the bill t
wipe out the three votes by which
was lost and leave a majority in II
favor. The second plan which seem
the more probable of adoption Is I
have a similar measure introduced 4
the Senate. where its passage woul
|
its passage by the Senate would 1t
though be sufficient to wipe out tn
slender margin by which the measSr
was defeated to-day.
HOW THEY VOTED.
The representatives voting in favor {
} the suffrage bill were as follows:
Adams of Westfo-d, Aiken. Albce. Allc
, of Vernon, Andrews. Austin. Aye
!, IoI1 30 RlnnchATt
, Bliss, Bond, Brewson. Brown OF Ber!ii
Brown of Orwell, Brown OF Peru. Bryan
Buck, Bundy. Burroughs. Button. BIxtol
Carlton. Carpenter. ChaInbcri!n. ChaI
. man, Chase, Cheney. Chassmore. Clif
, Coburn OF East Montpelier, Coburn OF ia,
Collins Cook. Cox. Cunnington, Curt
Oemick. Drake. Dunbar. Dunham (
. Bra:tlebor9. Dunn. Dunton. Esdcn, FoE
!, Foley. Gill. 0rny. Hall of Woodbur'
$ Hardy. Hayden. Hemcnway of Bridpor
Hicks. Higgins Of Woodford. Holbroo
e Hooper, Hopkins. Rowland. Hunt. Irs
Q Iennison. JOHNSON CT Craftsbury. Johnse
= of Huntington, Johnson cf Wardsbor
Z King. Ladd. LaTleur. Lawson. McCra
= Martin of Winhall. Menifeld. Metzge
Q Miles. Millcr, Miner. Moore of Ludlo'
y Moore Of Plymouth. Noble. Noona
Q O'Nei. O'Sullivan. Osguod Of Rocking
! ham. Parsons. Perkins Of Watcrbur
/, Phillips. Pike Of Stowe. Pike Of Stratto
e Prouty. Puffer. Richardson. Kicker. Roc
> Roger. Russell. Shanly. Smalley. smi'
It of Brown!ngton, Stcarns. Steele, Stile
n Sweeney. Taggart. Tenney. Trouvill
70 Waite Of Weston. West. Williams
= Pawlet. Wilson OF Pownal. Wright
= Coventry. Wright OF Waltham. Total. II
The representatives voting against Il
s suffrage bill were
y Adams of West Haven. Aldrich. Allt
IS of Wolcott Amidon, Archer. Atwoo
" Baker. Baldwin. Ball of Maidstone, Ba
L hcr, barrett, Bates, Beard. Becker. Bel
n rap, bellows OF Cambridge. Bellows
% Swan'on. Bentley. Blk, Briggs Buckli
Chmp5cll OF Belviderc Campbell of Su
ton. candon, Cannon, Casey. Cudwort
,r Cummings, palrynplc, DaLa. Da
10 Dcyettc. Dixie. Dillon Dunham of Athen