Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-03-13
MRS. GAIT SCOUTS
GOVERNORS VETO
Says WOmen's ElectOr Suffrage
Bill Is Constitutional-GOver-
nor's Signature Not Needed


Suffrage association. was given a hearty
welcome this evening when she spoke In
Representatives. hall. The floor and gal
leres were filed with men and women
1 who listened intently and many stopped
to meet and talk with her after her ad-
dress. Mrs. Gait was introduced by Sem
ator Martin S. Villas who said that the
standing of any nnation may be gagged
| by is attitude toward its women.
! Mrs. Halsey w. Wilson. recording sec
rotary, also gave a few words of greeting
| to the Legislature of Vermont and con-
graduated it upon passing the woman
suffrage presidential eector bill
| Mrs. Cats remarks were in the nature
of critical comment on Governor Glenn
ent's action in vetong the bill giving YER
mont women the right to vote for presi-
Dental electors. She declared that the
proposed act was not only constitutional
but it did not require the governors sig
nature to become law. She cited author
lily for her contentious. The substance
of Mrs. Cats address follows:
"a suffrage bill granting women the
right to vote for presidential electors on
the taking of the freeman's oath went
through the Senate January 90 and the
House February 6. 1919.
February 10 Governor Clement vetoed
the bill. ostensbly on the grounds that
it is not constitutional
CoNsTITUTIONALITY OF BILL
1.-The Constitution of the United States
states in Article n. Section !, the fol-
lowing:
| Each State shall appoint, in such man
nre as the Legislature thereof may
direct. a number of electors. equal to the
whole number of senators and repre-
sentatives ID which the State may be
entitled in the Congress-; but no senator
or representative, or person holding an
office of trust or profit under the United
States, shall be appointed as elector.
QUOTES VERMONT DECISION
1.-The foregoing section which delegates
to State Legislatures the absolute power
Of determining who are presidential cleo
| tors shall be would seem to be the only
| authority necessary TO convince a YER
mont doubter Of the constitutionality of
the bill. If, however, there be need of
further inquiry, in order to be convinced,
complete satisfaction on the subject may
be had from ruling of the Supreme
Court in Vermont in 1864 on a similar
meeting
| Mrs. Gait then quoted the opinion of
the Judges of the Supreme Court of Yer
mont on the constitutonality OF an act
providing for soldiers voting, from Yer
mont Reports Volume 81. She said that
the General Assembly of the State of
Vermont in session in Montpelier in 1853
passed IAN act providing for soldiers
voting The act provided that soldiers
might vote for governor, lieutenant
governor, treasurer. members of Con-
| gress and presidential electors.
rrl.- 4
of the act provides that this act shall
not take effect until the Governor sub
mits the same to the judgment of the
Supreme Court with the inquiry ARE the
provisions of this act constitutional
The judges rendered a decision April
l, 1864. as follows:
"Article II. Section l of the United
States Constitution Quoted above) pro-
vides for the choice of electors. Under
this provision the appointment of electors
has been variously provided for by the
State Legislatures. In some States the
Legislatures have directly chosen the
electors themselves. This mode Of cleo
ton was followed in this State, as we
recollect, down to 1924 In other States
they have been chosen by general ticket
throughout the whole State, and in others
the Legislatures have divided the State
into election districts for the choice of
electors. All Of these various modes of
elections have been regarded as fairly
within the power of the Legislatures . :
Upon the principles already alluded to
there would seem to be no ground to
question the power of the Legislatures to
authorize voting for electors as they have
done by this bill. Voting for representa-
ton to Congress and for electors has
never been understood by our Legislature
as affected by the provision of our con-
stitution.
I'VE therefore certify the opinion of
the judges Of the Supreme Court to be
that so much Of the act in question as
authorizes votes to be given for governor
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and treasurer, with
out the State or at any place except in a
freeman's meeting, holden in some town
within the State Is unconstitutional; and
that so much Of said act as authorizes
such voting for members Of Congress
and electors is not contrary to any
province Of the constitution OF this State
or Of the United States"
|, GOVERNORS VETO
III the authority to decide who presi-
Dental electors shall be Is delegated Ia
the Legislature by the Constitution OF
the United States" said Mrs. Gait, land
II the ruling Of the Legislature is in nc
way affected by the constitution of the
State, the logical deduction is that the
Governor has not the power to veto
any more than he has the power to
veto the ratification of Il federal amend
ment by a State Legislature"
The speaker read the statement OF
Mrs. McCulloch in telegram received
February %, as follows:
Federal Constitution controls presi
Dental suffrage. That gives Governor
: no authority"
This statement of Mrs. McCuiloch in q
letter OF March also was read by Mrs
: Gait:
AS to Governors signing bills granting
, only presidential elector suffrage / be
leve that they are not needed. Articl,
II. section !. United States Constitution
, states, Each State shall appoint In suci
. manner as the Legislature thereof ma,
, direct and this gives no authority to
Governor. l have not briefed the mattel
, to see whether the question was eve
raised. In Illinois our vote for presi
Dental electors was In q bill provdin,
also vote for various other officer,
, and propositions. Our Gov. Edward II
, Dunno did sign the bill covering all thes
varied things. 1t did no harm to- You
I point was never raised in Illinois.
think our attitude when a Governo
a vetoes should be that his disapproyal 4
a moral and social disappointment a.
1 his approval would have been so pleas
, ant but that the Legislature was tn,