The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-04-22
woMAN'S SUFFRAGE
That Bosom Pin, Family Jars, Extra
Session and Such Like.

Editor, Barre Times; We are havin
/ quite touse over here in the family
and kinder thought as how | would
like a little expert advice on the sub
ject and would like to have you get as
| good a man on the case as you car
spare, married preferred, and if you
can't spare anybody till after you get
your spouts and nails gathered and
buckets washed, ask Mr.. Badger to
take it up as soon as he winds up that
! Hoover business.
I've always rather favored woman
suffrage, not awful keen, you know
but kind of luke warm. Thought it
would kinder broaden mothers mind a
| little and hoped, if she entered into af-
| fairs of state, it would give us a little
safety valve and she wouldn't be quite
so darned arbitrary round home.
Well, trouble begun, that is, political
trouble. You know when married
mans troubles begin, but our political
troubles began when thought of run
ming for constable and collector. That
was the spring after the legislature
opened up the ballot box to women
taxpayers in March meeting and the
captain of the Equal Suffrage league
had the notice printed in your paper,
how loyal women of Vermont should
declare their bosom pins for taxation
and strike for final liberty.
We had a little conference the day
the hens made the spring record and
marin was feeling sorter smooth, and
she suggested if | was interested in
my next March canvass she would be
willing to declare on one of those new
tangled lavalieres and if come across
with something suitable she might
come across with vote. As it takes
about so votes to carry our meeting,
see was starting out kind of bad, but
as someone has said, HE who hesitates
is lost" and while | was turning the
situation over in my mind, marin for
got about egg records and such and
lowed she'd declare on an old bosom
pin Lang Williams gave her when they
was going to the district school and
worth about $l.20, though she allowed
it was worth Sl2 to her and said it
never lanked my pocketbook and she
aimed for political independence.
east few figures on the back of
an old envelope and showed mother if |
she declared on that bosom pin at Sl2 |
Mt $3.50 rate she would be paying |
about 80 cents for the privilege of vot- !
ing and as we was both little hot |
under the collar by that time, threw |
in a few extra remarks about being a
30-center.
/ see that kinder CALLED marin, espe-
tally after | heard her asking Uncle
lin Hifford, with the wooden leg, how
much his poll tax was. and the next
hing | knew she had told the listers
he want going to declare on no bosom
pins or nothin' and threw up her
nance of voting in town meeting that
ime.
This spring the listers took some
pecial pains to tell marin she could
vote in town meeting next year by
'aying a poll tax this, but our rate
las gone up to So and when she reck
med as how it was going to cost her
tx cartwheels for the show, il didn't
eem to appeal to her. Her hens are
aying real good too and retail in Barre
nd you know what that means.
Well, now the league has just sent
er darkest Africa map of the Unit
d States, with Vermont looking like
he ink bottle broke, and asking her
o petition the governor for an extra
ession. Mothers all fevered up over {
his; thinking she can vote for pres !
lent, governor member of Congress, ,
nd such, without mixing in any poll
axes, bosom pins or anything, but !
ome of the neighbors are telling her 1
he extra session is going to cost some [
hing | tell her the state pays the 1
ills, but since reading this league stuff
les losing confidence more than ever d
nd some keep mixing in and fan the /
1mes, so TO speak, telling her the
Irmers will pay some anyway. Il
! amt doing a whole lot to keep her /,
Inkled because she's capable of max !
q it mighty disagreeable round here n
I'd nobody knows who she'd vote for /
II president. a
She don't 60 very strong for the !,
nited States becoming a military ma :.
on, but she always fell for uniform i
anted / should learn to play the Gym q
lis when we were first married so i n
uld Join the band. h
But, anyway, she is arguing this ex II
a session biz whenever | am in for u
eals, acting like she is practising for g
ucus. sometimes on one side and j..
metimes on the other, but as usual y
the contra side and tries to get =,
ere first. -
Now it seems to me we men had y
ght TO begin to pool our resources ~
cause it looks like we would have to =
on or our political map will look y
rcker than the Vermont map before ~
II
But just now I would like to know al
W to handle mother about this extra ~ ~
ision and get her quoted down so ID
e can tend to spring house cleaning.
The listers have been around again Ge
day. They say mighty few women "
, going to pay poll taxes here for IN
, sake Of voting in town meeting N
,ugh we all know the town needs RI
, money and il would be a mighty TT
lift in town affairs. ms
Hope you will publish this anon, as clC
idn't dare ask the girls to help put sh
in shape as they both side in with
'ir mother. P0
Nv name wouldn't mean anything 10 on
,se who don't know marin and | and TO
II all your readers that do will say An
It old fools gone 10 writing TO the
lers, signed or not signed Blank u
Berlin, VT, April p, 1920. m
------ do