Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-07-15
VERMONT ACTION PUTS
SUFFRAGE UP TO SOUTH
(The Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
623 Riggs Building.)
H7xy HTTT-ED

Action of Governor Clement, OF
Vermont, in refusing to call an extra
is certain to bring reaction in North
Carolina and Tennessee, and pos
sibly Florida. The Vermont execu-
tive, with his startling declaration
that "as it stands and is interpreted
| by the supreme court today, the fed
eral constitution threatens the foun-
| dalton of free popular government, u
furnishes to opponents of suffrage IN
southern states an argument Which
they no doubt will effectively use.
Governor Clement goes further and
| declares that both the seventeenth
and eighteenth mendments--woman
! suffrage and prohibition were "lob-
bied" through congress and are be-
| ing '1obbied" through state legisla-
lures. There is no opportunity for
| he refuses to call his legislature to
| consider a question which has arisen
since that legislature was elected.
Argument for Ants
Although he is yankee" govern
or, Mr.. Clement has given the anti
| suffragists Of the south an additional
argument in his proclamation. The
Vermont governor says:
IF the people of Vermont, in &C
cepting place in the union of
states, inadvertent1-- lost in whole or
| in part the right Of f-government
and conferred it on a legislature,
there is all the more reason why a
legislature should not pass upon a
question which has arisen since their
cleo on and upon which their consti-
tuents have had no opportunity to
| express themselv
! Such an argument undoubtedly
will be of great potency in states like
North Carolina and Tennessee, where
there is much opposition to women
suffrage and where it is predicted
by the opposition that a popular
vote would overrule ratification.
Bolster1ng up his reasoning, the
governor of Vermont says that both
the seventeenth and eighteenth
through congress and some of the
state legislatures. The eighteenth
amendment, he added, was forced
through congress by powerful and
| irresponsible organizations, operating
through paid agents" Governor Gle
ment doubtless, referred to the anti
| saloon league.
The Vermont governor added:
| Inc supreme court decision de-
cIares that the referendum provis-
| statutes cannot be applied consistent
| " with the constitution of the United
States in the ratification or rejection
or amendments to it.
49, me decision leaves the people at
| the mercy of any group Of men who
the federal constitution through con,
gress and then through the legisla-
lures of the states.
In the face of this situation I
am asked to call the legislature of
Vermont into extraordinary session.
not Tor the purpose of debating, con-
sidering or celebrating on the oues-
ton at issue. but with a majority
OF its members pledged before hand
ana IN private, as I understand it.
rQf1fv q ~
UP to South
Sutfrag1sts here had pinned their
final hopes, SO far as the Repub-
l1can party is concerned, upon Yer
mont and Connecticut. If the gov
ernor of Connecticut follows the lead
of his Vermont colleague and these
two New England executives stand
together for the states rights issue,
strangely enough the fate of suf-
frage. will be up to the Democratic
south where the doctrine of states
rights was Graded
Advices from Tennessee and North
Carolina are that unusually bitter
fights are in prospect over suffrage
Governor Beckett, of North Carolina,
after. announcing some months ago
erence to it in his special session
call. The tar heel governor is re-
ported here to have suffered recently
an attack of cold feet" He openly
expressed the hope that Tennessee
would act and thus save North Caro-.
a suffrage fight in his Iegisla ture.
Senator Simmons, one of the domi-
nant political factors in the state,
also announced some months ago
that he now favored suffrage as a
matter of expediency, arguing that
since suffrage was inevitable the
Democrats might as we'll supply the
last state and gain credit. However,
when the president recently suggest
ed to Governor Beckett the necessity
of ratification in North Carolina,
Senator Simmons declined to COM
ment on the presidents message.
Altogether, North Carolina politi-
clans are said here to be growing
more and more apprehensive as the
suffrage battle approaches. The race
issue ard the brief time in which to
make suffrage operative in the south
ern states, are believed to have Gauss
ed the politicians to back-pedaL
Woman suffragist leaders are aware
of the crisis ahead.
In Tennessee the situation, from
the suffrage standpoint. is said to
he slightly better, but there is. no
assurance Of ratification by that leg
islature. Tennessee is one Of the
states whose constitution Is over
ridden by the United States supreme
court in the Ohio decision. This de-
cision held that referendum Is OF
no avail when a Legislature ratif1es
q federal amendment. In Ohio, Ten
nessee, Florida and possibly other
states legislatures are not presumed
to vote on federal amendments I'M
| less such amendments were pending.
Now the supreme court, as cited by
| Governor Clement, says the leg1s-
| lature may act and referendum
| vote is not controlling.
Governor Clements ringing procla-
nation came as a surprise and shock
| to suffragists in Washington who
| had expected him to call an extra
session following his recent confer
| ence with Senator Harding, the Re-
| publican presidential nominee. AL
though Senator Harding refused 10
| take the initiative in asking Yer
mont and Connecticut to ratify, he
| told the suffragists he would be glad
| to express a favorable opinion If re-
quested by the New England execu-
tives. subsequently came the Hard
| ing-Clement conference, at which
suffrage and other issues were dis
| cussed and the suffragists were sure
| that Governor Clement would call
| his Legislature into session. Cover
nor Clement not only refused but al
| luded to such things Is Hobbies,
government" private pledges"
and other things which will furnish
arguments for the opponents of suf-
frage in North Carolina and Tennes-
see.