The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-07-19
National League of Women
Voters Decides to Force
Ratification Issue
WOULD OVERRIDE
GOVERNOR CLEMENT
Claim President. Can Convene Special
Sessions of State Legislatures to Per-
form Federal Function - Heckling
TYor5,n0
Harding.

WASHINGTON, July 19-The Ma
tional League of Women voters has re
solved on bold step to force the issue on
the ratification Of the nineteenth amend
ment President Wilson win be asked
this week, as the head Of the national
government, to convene the legislatures of
Vermont and several other states which
have failed to pass upon the suffrage
amendment, TO perform a federal func-
| ton"
! The League Of Women voters viii base
their request for this action on the de-
cision of the United States supreme court
| in the Ohio case. The court, in holding
that the Ohio referendum law does not
| apply to constitutional amendments, said
the federal constitution itself provides
that amendments shall become effective
when ratified by the legislatures of the
states. This the court described az
federal function.
Since the governor of Vermont has re
| fused to call the legislature in special
session to pass upon the suffrage amend
ment, the League of Women voters says
President Wilson, who has promised to
help the suffrage cause in every way pos
sible, should step into the breach and
convene the state legislature. They con-
tend the President has ample authority
to do so, since the supreme court has
| held that action on an amendment to the
federal constitution is a federal function.
/ If Senator Warren c. Harding, Repub-
lican nominee, desires any peace this
summer he Will have to get the gov
errors of Vermont and Connecticut to
call their legislatures in special session
| to consider the woman suffrage amend
ment. The Alice Paul suffragists will not
allow him to straddle on this question;
they are determined to make him toe the
mark
upon Senator Hardings reply to this
delegation, July %, depends whether the
National Woman's party viii open per-
manent campaign headquarters in Ohio
this summer" said Florence Brewer
Boeckel, National Press Chairman of the
Woman's party today.
kilograms from Alice Paul. now in
Ohio, completing arrangements for tins
weeks deputation, announce an option
; has been obtained on a fraternity house
in Delaware, a few miles from Marion
which viii serve as headquarters, if found
necessary to maintain constant pressure
? upon the Republican leader in order K
secure action in Vermont and Connect
: cut"
Senator Hardngs statement that ne
would not ask the governor Of Connect
cut to call a special session. it was said al
the national headquarters Of the Woman
party. shows he does not realize the ma
tional significance Of the suffrage issue
The acknowledgements of half the people
Of this country must not be made second
airy to the question of party propriety Of
party etiquette.
a question that affects the whole ma
ton and on which the great majority has
expressed it's will cannot be left to the
discretion of the governor of any state t.
settle"
The National League Of Women voters
is after Senator Harding with the nro
verbal sharp stick It's organ, the Wo
man Citizen. says in part:
ct is not Governor Clement the women
voters of the country must hold respon
sible for the failure Of the Republican par
ty to complete ratification of the federal
suffrage amendment in time for the wo
men Of the eighteen unenfranchised states
to take part in the 1920 elections.
Governor Clement is not the nominee
of the Republican party.
"What about Vermont, Senator Hard
ing?"