Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-22

Montpelier. March 2o.-Ths Moore
woman suffrage bill. giving tax.paying
women the right to vote in town meet
ings. which passed the House last week.
was ordered to a third reading by the
Senate late this afternoon. after many
hours had been spent in debate on the
subject, and after an amendment pro-
viding for a referendum on the oues-
ton Of equal suffrage by both men and
women. at the September election, had
been defeated. The bill will undoubt-
edly pass the Senate tomorrow morn
ing. The vote by which the referen-
dunn amendment was defeated was Is
to II, while the bill was ordered to a
third reading by a vote of 1s to 10.
The debate. which started in the morn
ing but had to be postponed until af-
ternoon because Of the pressure Of spe-
cial orders. was listened to by a large
gallery, including the women leaders
of both the suffrage and anti-suffrage
parties, but there was only a slight
dem onstration when the result of the
final vote was announced.
Although Senator Bigelow of Orange
county proposed the referendum amend
ment, the ablest opposition to the bill was
presented by Senator Hawley of Chit
tenden county, who declared that suffrage
If granted to women should be equal and
not based upon a property right and that
the measure under consideration was a
makeshift one. of which there was no
need. Senator Villas made lengthy
speech refuting some of his brother sena-
tors arguments and said that a vote
In ryot rrat q in q
woman suffrage. Senator Peck of Chit
tenden county also defended the meas
ure at length. and Senator Wheeler also
Of that county. not to be left out in the
cold. spoke very briefly in it's favor just
before the vote was taken. Senators
Taylor and Morse opposed the amendment
and favored the bill.
COUNTY LICENSE COMMISSIONERS
The act providing for the appointment
by the Governor Of county license com.
missioners was also ordered to a third
reading by a vote Of Is to II after the
expenditure Of considerable oratory Sen
ator Fairchild Of Franklin county. who
presided during the greater part of thu
day because Of the absence of Lieut..
Governor Hulburd. called Senator Steele
Of Washington county to the chair ant
himself led the opposition to the meas
ure.
| WILL HIT PRESENT APPOINTEEs.
| The measure. which has already passed
the House. provides that the Governor
shall annually within ten days after tn
first Tuesday in March appoint thre
county license commissioners In eacl
county. in which a town has voted t,
license the sale Of intoxicating liquors
The commissioners for each license tow
are now appointed by the assistant Judge
of the county. During the discussion o
the bill, there were some yelled allusion
and some with very thin veil to tn
bad conditions governing the appointment
Of license commissioners in various coun
ties. and while these facts were used b.
the supporters of the bill to show tina
these conditions should be remedied. tn
opponents of the measure asked II tn
suspicion should be transferred from tn
assistant judges to the Governor. TIL
bill was amended so that for this yea
the appointments may be made durin
the month Of March.
BOARD OF CONTROL WINS.
!: The board Of control night. the mos
} dramatic Of the session. was APPARENT
completed late this afternoon when tn
Senate by votes of Is to and q to
concurred In the House proposals c
, amendment to the bill and by a vote {
"a to rejected the one newly propose
amendment which would have sent tn
l bill back to the House. The only change
made In the original bill during It's storm
passage through the Legislature have bee
the substitution of the auditor Of account
for the commissioner of agriculture In II
q membership. and the taking away frol
the board the power to arbitrarily dismii
! appointive offices Of other State boards.
Tho board of control will be compose
: Of the Governor. State treasurer. auditt
;. Of accounts. director OF State institution
: and a member to DO appointed biennial
l. by the Governor. 1t Ia believed that II
o Governor will sign the bill at once.
OPPOSITION SLIGHT.
8 The measure failed to meet with Il
determined resistance which had been e.
v pected it's opponents evidently realizir
Il the hopelessness Of their task. Senat
l. Demeritt of Washington county propose
l. to amend the amendment by SUBSTITUTE
d the secretary OF state for the direct
Of State institutions. but after a ten-mi
ia ute recess had been taken. Senator Fai
10 child. who was In the chair. ruled that
It amendment could be made striking o
!. anything in the original bill Senator d
merritt then moved to amend the propos
1. amendment by adding the secretary
g state to the membership Of the board. b
II this was rejected by a vote of "a to 4. Sc
u ators Demeritt. Villas. Kicker and Tayl
voting for the amendment.
The Senate then concurred In the III
House amendment regarding the dism
D sal Of appointees of State boards by
vote of Is to 8. Senator Villas not opposi
Ithe amendment, The second amendme
ot substituting the auditor of accounts I
III the commissioner Of agriculture was Q
es no.ea onlv nv Senator TayIor NJ Winds
Id F. 49, =.