The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-02-06
First Step Taken In Ohio
Legislature
Gives Women Right TO Vote For
Presidential Electors.
VOTE RECORDED WAS II TO so

Hamilton, Franklin and Montgomery
Delegations Vote soIidly Against
the measure-senate Likely to Act
Adversely on the Proposition--In-
itiated Bill Aimed at Liability Com.
panies Passes House.
Columbus, Feb. 2.-The house, after
two hours of debate. passed the Reg.
nolds bill giving women presidential
suffrage in Ohio. The vote stood 72
to SO.
Supporters of the bill, while highly
eiatet, by no means regard the battle
won. Nobody pretends to know with
certainty how the senate will vote on
the proposal. What will serve to be-
fiddle the situation in the upper
house is favorable action taken on
the resolution of Senator Holden to
submit general suffrage amendment
to popular vote IN November. The
resolution is slated to be reported out
Monday 1t doubtless will be ado1t.
ed. This action will precede the sen.
ate vote on the REYNOLDS bill and like.
iy will do the latter more harm than
good.
Supporters OF the suffrage bill.
however, declare the propositions
ought not conflict, because the HoI-
den resolution deals with full suf-
frage, while the Reynolds measure
provides for presidential suffrage
only. It is understood Governor Cox
will sign the bill if the senate also
passes II. He mas assumed a position
of noninterference on the measure.
Suffragists and anti-suffragists
were present in full force in the
house So many were shut OFF from
view that, on motion Of Chapman of
MONTGOMERY they were permitted to
come into the chamber and stand be.
hind the bar in the rear Of the seats
The Democrats present cast 40
votes for the measure and SO against
the Republicans 32 for aid IL against.
OF the Republicans voting in the neg
ative all except two are in the Cincin-
natl delegation. which voted solidly
against suffrage. The Franklin and
Montgomery county delegations. each
Democratic, voted solidly against the
bill. The Cuyahoga and Lucas coun.
ty contingents, also Democrats, eacn
split even on the proposition.
Labor Bill Passes.
Labor's initiated bill to oust pri-
vate liability insurance companies
from the state made almost a clean
sweep of it in the house, only two dis
senting votes being recorded against
the measure
Debate on the bill was all in its
favor. Clark of Warren and Ellis Of
Geauga were the only ones to vote
against it.
Minority Leader Reighard read
from 4 message of Governor Cox to
the legislature Of four years ago in
which Cox was quoted as saying the
competition feature might be a good
thing for the state compensation
fund. at is strange we never heard
of this defect in the law until a cam
paign was on" said Relghard "How.
ever, the Republican party always
has bean for labor and we are going
TO take it's word for it that this bill
IS right and vote for it,"
The house passed the LLOYD bill SD
propriating 100000 for a coliseum ct
the State fair grounds. which would
enable Columbus to land the 1917
National Dairy show in October The
house made the appropriation avail
able at once, just as the senate had
done earlier in the week, but house
Republicans forced ar amendment By
Representative Srrague to forbid the
use of convict labor in building the
coliseum. 1t is expected the senate
will concur in this amendment.
The O'Brien bill, which requires
the Declaration Of Independence he
read at least once a month in schools,
academies, colleges and universities,
passed the senate. Declaring that h5
deserved special recognition for spon
soring such a bill, his first in the leg
islature. Senator White OF Sandusky
presented O'Brien with an American
flag, ON behalf of his colleagues.