Milford chronicle., 1920-07-16
SUFFRAGE APPEAL
LOSESIN VERMONT.
GOVGTnOT Refuses to Call a
Special Session.
.FAVORS REFERENDUM VOTE
Declares Supreme Courts View Of
United States Constitution Threat.
ems Free Government

CTS rree government.
Rutland, vt-Governor PercivaI
W. Clement issued proclama.
ton refusing TO call the legislature
IN special session to make possible
ratification of the federal amendment
for woman suffrage
The governors proclamation follows
a conference he held at Washington
recently with Senator Harding. at
which it is understood the Repuhli-
can nominee for president discussed
with him the possibility of having rati.
fcatiOn completed by the Republican
! legislature of Vermont.
! In giving his reasons for refusing
again to call a special session Cover
nor Clement said the proposed amend
-1ent clearly invades the constitution
of Vermont; that the present legisla-
,ture was elected before the question
of ratifying the federal amendment
had arisen, and the people of the state
have had no opportunity to express
themselves on the issue. The gov
.ernor proposed the matter be taken
up by the next legislature, and urged
that candidates for election be requlr-
ed to declare themselves on it.
The proclamation said in part:
THE provisions for changes in the
federal constitution to which we Yer
monters are loyal subscribers, are In
conflict with those laid down In the
constitution of Vermont. The federal
constitution provides proposals for
change therein shall, If favorable ac-
tiOn is taken thereon by the congress,
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 declared:
1.-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,
"This decision leaves the people at
the mercy of any group Of men. who
may lobby a proposal for change the
federal constitution through congress
and then through the legislatures OF
the states.
"In the face of this situation, I am
asked to call the legislature of Yer
mont into extraordinary session, not /
for the purpose Of debating, consider
ing, deliberating on the question at is
sue, but with a majority of its mem 4
bers pledged beforehand and in pri- I
vate. as I understand it, to ratify the .
proposed amendment.
"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 con
ferred it 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 them
selves.
"yVe must now either remodel our
to conform with the man.
date of the supreme court Of the Unit
Oh 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-
,ome effective. As it stands and IS !
Interpreted by the supreme court. the
federal constitution threatens the 5
foundation Of free popular govern {
nent"
The seventeenth amendment to the
constitution. he said, had been lObbied !
through congress and state legisla- !
ures by federal agents, and the eigh-
eenth amendment had been forced .
through by powerful and irrespOnsi- .
,le organizations. operating through !
aid agents with unlimited funds. /
at is now proposed to force through {
no nineteenth amendment for woman e
mirage in the same manner and also d
Without the sanction of the freemen.
"I have been asked to overlook these I
as a matter Of party Il
xpediency. but this is a matter Of :
rinciple. not expedlency, and the par \
: that invades n well-established +
rinciple Of popular government will
uffer in the end" Il