Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-09-16
VERMONT LEAGUE
OF WOMEN VOTERS
New Citizens Prompt to Realize
the Importance of Privileges
Conferred on Them-Problems
Considered at Convention Held
In Burlington Thursday

g., e"t''ereu IN tne parlors Of the New
sherwood Hotel Thursday for the first
convention of the Vermont League of
women Voters. Mrs Lillian IT. OIzendam
or this city presided and Mrs. John II
, i1ddock OF Saxton's River was annointad
secretary of the convention. Mrs. OIzcn-
uarn said in opening that II was impera-
i've 10 nave the convention before the
primaries so that the women could bc
"'ane 10 realize the importance of ex-
crossing their new right. She then spoke
briefly OF the different problems before
me women. and told of the committees
INTO which the league would put some of
It's special problems
AS MISS Berenice futile OF Rutland.
chairman of the child welfare committee.
which Mrs. Olzendam described as ono
or the most important was present. she
was asked to tell something of the plans
Of that department. Miss Tuttle said that
she was proud OF the work that has been
done for children In Vermont but that
there was still much to do. She said one
important thing for the women of the
league 10 do was to make themselves
authorities on the law of the State and
then tall those who need them Of the
provisions made. She told of the mothers
pension law that was made for widows
who needed help in supporting their chill
dren but who. because they dbl not know
there was such n law. did not apply for
aid. This Is n condition to work against"
said Miss futile.
Mrs. Olzendam than appointed the fol-
lowing women to draw up resolutions:
Mrs Howard CT Mddlebury. Mrs. Russell
Porter OF Springfield and Miss Berenjce
futile OF Rutland
Miss Marjorie Shuler of New York, as
ISOLATE editor Of the Woman Citizen, was
then called on and she brought a meg
sage from Mrs. Gait. Tell the women Of
Vermont" Mrs. Gait said, that al, of
the states appreciate what they have
done and how plucky they have been IN
their fight for ratification and tell them
not to give up but to work until their
Legislature does ratify in January, for
the other States will never forgive YER
mont If its Legislature does not ratify
when It IS called
Woman" said Miss Shuler, us coming
IN to vote when she is needed as never
before, and we plan to give the women
the training to vote that men have never
given men voters. The Republicans say
that the League of Women Voters is
Democratic organization and the Demo-
Gratis say 1t is Republican, but I have
been In Republican States and in Demo-
cratic States and l know 1t is nom
partisan.
Women voters have got to find a new
way of running the political parties. The
old method of letting somebody else do
It until mistakes are made and then try
ing to smash the organization gets no
one anywhere. If women are going to do
one-tenth Of the good things they
promised if they got the vote. they must
begin by getting a hand on the lever that
moves the real inward machinery Of the
parties. They must begin by helping to
choose candidates who know issues when
they see them and platforms that will
at least hold up the speakers glass Of
water.
THE League of Women Voters is not
intended to keep women out Of the parties.
1t Is to teach them how to be the best
kind of party members by giving real
service not as decorations in the windows
for election day but as actual co-keepers
of the shop every day all the year round.
Vermont has some foreigners who
need citizenship schools and it has COL
lege graduates just as much in need Of
practical political education. Vermont
could stand the improvement of some Of
her own laws and to help make better
legislation for the nation as well. The
National League of Women Voters is sug
costing some legislation for which YER
mont women should work."
The work of the league, according to
Miss Shuler, could not be trusted to
clubs, 1T must be put into the hands Of
people who meet simply to do that work
and not to have 1t as a side issue.
THE aim of the American citizen"lip
committee in the league. Is to make
every voter able TO read his own ballot
and vote intelligently. Then there Is
the committee on improvement of cleo
toral laws. the committee on unification
of law relating to women and children,
the child welfare committee. the COM
mittee on women In Industry the COM
mittee on social hygiene and the COM
mitee on food supply and demand.
which, by the way" said Miss Shuler.
cannot do a thing for you unless you
take your market basket and go out and
buy food yourself And last is the COM
mittee on surveys. That collects in
formation and keeps it for all the other
departments,
Miss Shuler described the school
which is now being held at St. Louis
to train women to go out and teach
citizenship. She spoke Of the schools
which are to be held in Vermont and
suggested that the league have a bud
get to support the schools and not
trust to membership fees alone.
In closing. she brought a message
from Mrs. Maud Wood Park, chairman
of the National League of Women Vot-
ers. Tennessee has shown u.s." said
Mrs Park. what suffragists Of the past
have done and It has proved to US that
we owe it to them to make their work
bear fruit. We need the women of Yer
mont to help us do all the things we
have planned to do If we are willing
to accept the age-old divisions we can
not do all that we promised when we
were working for suffrage. We must
work with the women of the West and
OF the South in order that we may get
unity of our own country before we
get that unity of the world which we
women think SO necessary for the peace
that pesseth all understanding
Miss Anne Batchelder told something
OF the plans for the legislative commit
tee and then the meeting was given
over to a discussion Ms to whether he
women really wanted the leagudRIt
was animously decided that they did
want 1t and they would all work for
1t.
Mrs. Henry r, Shaw read the consti-
tuition which had been drawn up by
the committee appointed In st. Adams
and 1t was discussed at length.
AFTERNOON SESSION
The afternoon session was opened when
Miss Mabel Southwick read her report on
the credentials committee. the number of
delegates being 70. Much of the afternoon
was taken up in discussing the various
Il