The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-07-12

yate, as l understand it, to ratlfy the
proposed amendment.
III the people OF Vermont, in ac-
Icepting a place in the Union of States,
inadvertently lost in whole or in part
the right OF elfgovernment and con
ferred it on a Legislature, there is all
the more reason why a Legislature
should not pass upon question which
has risen since their election and
upon which their constituents have
had no opportunity to express them
selves.
THE people are the supreme gov
Ierning power of the State, and the leg
islators, under our Constitution. are
their representatives and responsible
10 the people yet It Is now proposed
that their Legislature take action
without the sanction OF the people
and in direct invasion of their rights.
For this reason, | am calling 10
the attention of the voters of Yer
mont this all-important proposed
change in our Constitution. 1t may
be forced upon us by the action of
other states, nevertheless il is our
duty to know what the attitude OF our
senators and representatives is upon
this subject and to elect men who
represent our wishes
Candidates for the Legis stature of
/ 1921 should be required to declare
their position on this subject without
delay.
at is evident from the reading OF
| the Constitution of Vermont that
when the trainers Of it accepted in
1891 a place in the Union of States
they had no idea that they were sign
ling away liberties which had been
boldly proclaimed and zealously
! Iguarded up to tina. time.
I'VE must now either remodel our
own Constitution to conform with the
mandate of the Supreme court of the
United States, or the Constitution OF
Ithe United States must be amended tC
proyide for a referendum to the free
men of the several states before
amendments to that Constitution be
come effective AS it stands and is
interpreted by the Supreme Court to
day, the Federal Constitution threat
ems the foundation Of free popular
government.
"The seventeenth amendment pro
vidng for a Federal income tax, wa,
lobbied through Congress and tn,
IState Legislatures by Federal agents
Tho ofobtanntb on,onJp,out r,r Irol..
al prohibition was forced through Coz
Igress and the S ate Legislatures by
powerful ard irresponsible organiza
ton, operating through paid agent
with unlimited funds 1t is now prc
posed to force through the nineteenth
amendment for woman suffrage in tn
same manner and also without tn
sanction of the freemen.
Il have been asked to oyerloo
these considerations as matter O
party eXpediency, but this is a matte
of principle, not expedienCy, and tn
party that invades a well-establishe
principal of popular government wi
suffer in the end.
Our Constitution was framed {
. insure our liberties not to proscrib
them. 1t means what 1t says. Th
rights of the people hereunder mus
be maintained j will never be
parry to any proceeding which prc
T poses to change the Organic Law {
the State without the consent of tn
, people.
81 propose to go and come as m
duty calls me, both within and will
out the State of Vermont and if an
other state officer seems fit, regar,
, less of our fundamental law and hi
, oath to support it, to take act,cn COZ
trary to the terms of this procli
nation. he will do so on his own r.
sponsibilijv and be answerable to tn
.. freeman Of the state.