The Connecticut labor press., 1920-03-20
BRANDAGEE FLOPS
 TO SUFFRAGE PUTS HOLCOMB IN HOLE
Senator, With Election Nigh, Is Now for Ratification
 Here.
WOMEN SURE TO VOTE
So Former Opponent Now Sees Desirability of Letting
 Them,


 and loudly touted as Connecticut's fore. most and staunchest opponent tc Woman's Suffrage, realizes, according to reports from Hartford, that election is coming, that he will be up for re- election and that if he is to retain his senatorial toga, he must have some oi the women's votes which are now prac- tically an assured fact. Therefore he has apparently changed his tactics and Is now declaring that he believes Con- necticut should have special General Assembly and get in on the ratifying bandwagon, and he thus puts Governor Holcomb in somewhat of bad hole.
 The report of Senator Brandegee's changed attitude was made to Miss Catherine Ludington of Hartford, pres ident of the Connecticut Suffrage Association, who went to Washington this week to interview Connecticut's rep resentatives and find out what they are going to do about it. At about the time the information was being given by Senator Brandegee the governor, through his organ, the Hartford Cour- ant, was busy explaining in detail how the oath he took and the State Con- stitution prevent him from calling a special session. Now Senator Brande- gee, who is to be the keynote" speaker at the Republican state convention next week, comes out for a special session and ratification and it's amusing to watch and see how the thing is to be brought about.
 As stated in The Connecticut Labor Press last week, the special session IS coming anyhow,-just as soon as the 36 states needed to put suffrage over have AL must come in. The way is being paved Courant of Thursday speaking editor tally on the governors explanation and before the changed attitude of Senator Brandegee became public, said:
 Tt has been contended by some suf- fragists that in Connecticut a change in our laws as to voting would be required. if women were to vote, and that, there fore, session is necessary or Connec- ticut women will be disfranchised. It is early to worry over this alleged con tingency, but 1t is not too early to use it as means of attempting to create unfair sentiment. The fact is that Gov ernor Ho1comb is on record as saying publicly that, if such situation arose, he would consider that that might create special emergency"
 The governor in his explanation said l: Our state constitution declares that all political power is inherent in the people. It aso provides that any amendment of 1t must be submitted to and approved by the electors. Under our constitution women are excluded from becoming electors unless and until the word male is erased by an amendment regu- larly adopted.
 Our constitution also provides when and where our General Assembly shall meet in regular session and fixes the maximum length of the session and further provides that in case of spe- cial emergency the governor may con- vene the General Assembly at any other time or place.
 Members of the General Assembly and all executive and judicial officers are required to take an oath of office wherein they swear to support the con- stitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Connecticut. This oath of office is not intended as an idle ceremony, and does not permit me to favor changing our constitution other than in the manner therein pro- vided which IS by the concurrent action of the General Assembly and the elect ors of the state. The merit of the change desired does not justify a de- parture from constitutional methods to obtain it, nor does any action which may have been taken by sister states.
 "The desire of number of individu- als-be the number greater or less to have the General Assembly vote upon the federal suffrage amendment prior to the next regular session does not create the special emergency provided in the constitution permitting the gov ernor to convene the General Assembly in special session and is his only auth ority for doing so.'
 The Women's Suffrage Association of Connecticut submitted the statement to Francis w. Cole an attorney of Hart ford for an opinion.
 MT. Cole replies in part as follows: Our state constitution may be legally amended or changed either by amend ing 1t in the manner prescribed therein, or by amending the United States con- stitution i'll the manner prescribed in that constitution and thus by paramount law changing the Connecticut constitu- tion insofar as it conflicts with the paramount law. Legally, constitutional ly and so tar as the governors oath of office is concerned, I do not think there Is any reason for choice between the two methods of amending. The gov ernor's oath requires him to support the constitution of the United States as we'll as the constitution of the state of Connecticut, and as I see it, 1t does not morally or legally obligate him to oppose amendment to the United States constitution. He is at liberty to permit the change i'll our state constitution by either method mentioned above"
 Senator Brandegee's change on suf- frage gives some State Labor leaders hope. He may change his Labor atti- tude in; hope of getting some of that Labor "non-partisan vote".
 At the end of last week, and during the early part of this week series of important conferences have been going on in Hartford, between the Republican leaders and Mrs. Helena Hill Weed of Washington, D. C. Mrs. Weed came to Connecticut as the emissary of the Re- publicans to try to effect some adjust ment of the situation in Connecticut in regard to the Federal Suffrage Amend
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