Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-09-11
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS SAY
Various Constitutional Amendments
Tint Are Being sugsested
From the Rutland HeraldN

From the Rutland HeraId)
Commenting on the plans Of the COM
mission to propose changes to the con-
stitution of Vermont the Burlington
Free Press says:
1T goes without saying that num-
Der of amendments will be suggested
to the commission on constitutional re-
vision. One of the first to suggest IT,
self In that connection is an amend
ment to empower women to exercise
the full right of suffrage. Another
that a host of people would like to see
adopted would be a modified system of
representation. Still another would
remove the time lock on revision of the
constitution. so that It could be amend
ed oftener than every 10 years. BY the
time our constitution can be amended
women of Vermont will have lost half
decade Of opportunity for making their
influence felt for the promotion of eff
ficiency in our State government TO saw
nothing Of national affairs It is graft
Tying that the commission on revision.
to say nothing Of the constitution Is thus
early inviting suggestions. Our think.
ing people should take advantage OF
the opportunity thus afforded"
Another very necessary amendment
would be to provide some method for
FILLING vacancies when town represent
tatives are removed by death or other
uhaVoidable causes. Under the pres
ent constitution, a town loses its rep
resentation in the legislature when Its
representative dies after his election
There were several cases Of this kind
In the legislature and clearly 1t is not
fitting that death or absolute disauali-
isiative unit Of its right to a voice in the
popular house Of the Legislature
The right to All vacancies in the state
Senate is authorized by the proviso Of
Section 81 of the constitution which
reads in part as follows:
provided, however. that the General
Assembly shall have power to regulate
by law the mode of balloting for SEN
ators. within the several counties, and
to prescribe the means and the manner
by which the result of the ballotine
shall be ascertained, and through which
the senators chosen shall be certified of
their election. and for filling all vacan-
cies in the Senate. which shall happen
by death. resignation or otherwise"
Under this authority, tho legislature
of 1912 provided for the governors filling
of vacancies in the State Senate (No. Is
efeibe-a 'tSaf fplis2leee br0hip1y" and ffe-
quently thereafter.
! So much. however, is not permitted
under Chapter II. Section 36, of the State
constitution, which merely provides as
follows:
THE House of Representatives of the
freemen of the State, shall consist of
persons most noted for wisdom and vir-
tue, to be chosen by ballot, by the free
men of every town of this State, re-
spectively. on the first Tuesday after
the first Monday of November beginning
A. D., 1914"
This section was not revised direct
ly at the time of the referendum Of
proposed constitutional changes in 1913.
although the terms of the legislator and
the time of the legislatures meeting
were amended through Proposal .. so
the necessity for filling vacancies in the
House apparently did not appeal to the
revisers. To-day. however. the issue
seems fairly well defined and will un-
doubtedly be given careful attention by
the commission. possibly In connection
with some proposal to limit representa-
ton to some population basis.