Evening star., 1920-07-12
CLEMENT REFUSES
TO CALL ASSEMBLY
ON SUFFRAGE PLAN
Vermont Governor Says Con-
stituti0n Menace as Now
Interpreted.

RUTLAND, VT, July 12.-Gov. Per-
cival w. Clement today issued procla-
nation refusing to call the legislature
in special session to make possible
ratification of the federal amendment
for woman suffrage.
Gov. Clements proclamation asserted
that 'as it stands and is interpreted by
the Supreme Court today. the federal
Constitution threatens the foundation
of free popular government"
The seventeenth amendment to the
Constitution. he said, had been lobbied
through Congress and state legislatures
by federal agents, and the eighteenth
amendment had been forced through
by powerful and irresponsible or
Ganizations, operating through paid
agents"
the nineteenth amendment for woman
suffrage in the same manner and also
without the sanction of the freemen.
Matter of Principle.
4 have been asked to overlook
these considerations as matter of
party eXpediency. but this is a mat
ter of principle, not eXpediency. and
the party that invades a well estab-
lished principle of popular govern
Harding Asked Ratification.
The governors proclamation fol-
lowed conference which he held at
Washington recently with Senator
Harding. at which it is understood the
republican nominee for President dis
cuSSed with him the possibility of
having ratification completed by the
republican legislature of Vermont.
In giving his reasons for refusin z
again to call a special session Gov.
Clement said the proposed amendment
clearly invades the constitution of
vermont, that the present Legislature
was elected before the question OF
ratlfying the federal amendment had
arisen and that the people of the state
have had no opportunity to express
themselves on the issue. The governor
proposed that the matter be taken up
by the next legislature. and urged
that candidates for election be re-
qulred to declare themselves on it.
Cites Supreme Court Decision.
The proclamation said. in part:
The provisions for changes in the
federal Constitution. to which we Yer
vonters are loyal subscribers, are in
conflict with those laid down in the
constitution of Vermont The federal
Constitution provides that proposals
for change therein shall. if favorable
gress. be submitted to the legislatures
of the several states for their action.
and the Supreme Court of the United
States has in a recent decision. Hawke
VS.. Smith. June l.. 1920, declared:
The referendum provisions of state
constitutions and statutes cannot be
applied, consistently with the Consti-
tuition of the United States, in the
ratification or rejection of amend
ments to it
At Mercy of Any Group.
This decision leaves the people at
the mercy of any group of men who
may lobby proposal for changing the
federal Constitution through Congress
and then through the legislatures of
the states.
I'm the face of this situation / am
asked to call the Legislature of Yer
mont into extraordinary session. not
for the purpose of debating, consider
ing, celebrating on the question at
issue. but with majority of it's mem
bers pledged beforehand and in pri-
vate, as l understand it, to ratify the
proposed amendment.
Menace to Free Government.
IF the people of Vermont. in ac-
cepting a place in the union of states
inadvertently lost in whole or in part
the right of self government and
conferred 1t on a legislature, there is
all the more reason why a legislature
should not pass upon a question
which has arisen since their election
and upon which their constituents
have had no opportunity to express
themselves.
We must now either remodel our
Constitution to conform with the
mandate of the Supreme Court of the
United States. or the Constitution of
the United States must be amended to
provide for referendum to the free
men of the several states before
amendments to that Constitution be-
become effective. AS it stands and is
interpreted by the Supreme Court to-
day the federal Constitution threat
ems the foundation of free popular
government"