The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-03-10
.W0ULDN 7 LET
HUSBAND FLY
FOR SUFF RACE
West Virginia Senator Travelling
On Special Train
EXPECTS TO BREAK TIE
Upon Arrival at Capitol Will Cast
Vote to Carry State for Woman
Suffrage Amendment

/ Cincinnati, O., March 9.-Wil-
liam Bloch, State Senator of West Vir-
ginia, who is making a sensational
lcross-country flying trip to break a
deadlock in favor of the ratification
of the National womens suffrage
amendment, arrived in Cincinnati at
6:15 o'clock last night on a special
train f.om Chicago. The train, which
cost s5,000 enabled him to clip two
hours from the regular express time
and to catch the New York train over
the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad which
will get him to Charleston early to-
morrow morning.
I'm not suffragist, he said in an
interview he e, "and have no personal
axe to grind, but if the women want
! to vote, why not let them? My per
sonal contention is that the vote viii
not do lot of harm and most certain
lly might help in doing some good.
Election day comes but once year
and if 1t will add to the peace of mind
of the women and aid the United
States to cast ballot with the men,
| III do my bit.
I'm Chicago it was suggested that /
take an airplane to Cincinnati. !
jumped at the idea. My wife, however,
when she thought of the perils involv-
ed, jumped on me. Yes, she wants to
vote. | left her in Chicago"
An amusing feature of the trip is
that the Senator received the telegram
to rush home while he was in swim
ming and in his haste he forgot to
.emove his bathing suit.
Charleston, w Va, March o.
Amidst scenes of excitement such as
have never been Witnessed in the West
Virginia Legislature in years, Senator
A. X. Montgomery, Democrat, who
came from his home in Illinois to
break the deadlock between the pro
and anti-suffrage forces in the Sen
ate and who was lined up with the
lanti-suffrage group, prevented f.om
voting, and the suffrage forces brought
about an adjournment till tomorrow,
when Senator Bloch is expected to be
present and to give majority to rati-
fication.
1t is alleged that Senator Montgom-
cry had previously submitted his
resignation to Governor Cornwall but
no effort was made to declare his seat
vacant, and the letter said to contain
his resignation was not submitted.
Montgomery was in his seat for the
fi,.gt tp,A hn cnccfnn
when the Senate convened this after
noon, having been prevailed upon by
the anti-suffrage forces, it is said, to
claim his seat to prevent the ratifica-
tion of suffrage, which is expected
with the rival tomorrow of Senator
Jesse A. Bloch from his Winter home
in California.
Senator Harvey w. Harmer, cham
pion of the suffrage movement, imme
diately challenged Montgomery's right
to seat in the Senate and moved that |
the President appoint a committee
o call upon Governor Cornwall for a
letter which Montgomery is alleged to
have W itten to the Governor on June !
II, 1919, rendering his resignation.
Roll call was demanded, and Sena-
tor Montgomery voted in his own be-
half. Senator E. H. Morton. raised
point of order on Montgomery's right
to vote under a rule of the Senate
which prov des that no member whose ,
right to seat in the Senate is in ques-
ton can vote on that proposition. His
objection was upheld, and Montgom-
f1's vote was ruled out by the Presi-
dent. The 1912 vote which had pre-
vailed so far on every question relat-
ing IN any way to suffrage was then
broken, when Senator Burr, Demo
crat, and an opponent of suffrage,
voted against Montgomery. "as a mat
ter of conscience" He explained later
that his action in this matter is not to
be taken as change of heart on suf-
frage.
Immediately prior to the vote and
following it great confusion prevailed
in the Senate chamber, each Senator
in the opposing forces attempting to
be heard, and the chamber was still
in an uproar when it adjourned until
tomorrow.
Naturalization Senators announc-
ed tonight that they would make an
ATTEMPT tomorrow afternoon to un-
seat Senator Raymond Dodson of
Spencer, Roane County, who they as
sert, has moved out of his district
and is now resident of Charleston.
He is practicing law here, and is list
ed in the city directory as having
residence in this city.
Unless the proposed move to unseat
Senator Dodson is successful Senator /,
Bloch's vote will swing West Virginia
into the suffrage. column. In case Sen
ator Dodson is ousted, Senator Bloch's
vote will merely continue the tie. which
has so far prevented ratification
Anti-Suffrage leaders announced to-
night that if the amendment is ratified
it VIII be contested in the courts as the
result of the "high-handed juggling of
the Senate rules and regulations by |