J.
Deavitt and Senator D. C. Hawley. It was defeated as usual. A bill
which gave women the same right as men to vote in town meetings on all
matters relating to taxation and the raising and appropriation of
money passed the Senate but was not considered by the House.

1915. Mrs. Amanda Seaver served as the "watchman on the tower," her
husband being a member of the Legislature, and she was assisted by
Mrs. Wyman and Mrs. Taylor. A public hearing on the bill for Municipal
and Presidential suffrage was held January 21. A large audience in
Representatives Hall listened to a convincing address by Mrs.
Antoinette Funk of Chicago, a member of the Congressional Committee of
the National Association. Mrs. Wyman closed the hearing with an
effective speech. Opportunity was given for the opponents but although
a large delegation of them from Burlington was present, no one spoke.
Mrs. George of Massachusetts and John A. Matthews, a member of the New
Jersey Legislature, were the anti-suffrage speakers February 2 at a
largely attended Senate hearing. The vote in the Senate was 19 to 19;
in the House the bill was loaded with amendments and a third reading
was refused by 129 to 100.

1917. Dr. Grace Sherwood was legislative chairman. Six bills giving
various kinds of suffrage to women were introduced and every trick
that legal minds could devise was employed to retard or defeat their
passage but nevertheless one was passed, which was introduced by
Representative Ernest E. Moore. It provided that "a female citizen, 21
years of age, who has taken the Freeman's Oath ... and whose taxes
were paid prior to the 15th day of February preceding town meeting,
shall while residing in such town be a voter in town meeting."
Hearings were held February 6, 15, 16 and March 17, 20. There were 28
speakers in favor, 9 of them women; 21 opposed, 9 of them women. The
Speaker, Stanley G. Allson, instead of asking the usual question
"Shall the bill pass?" put the question "Shall the bill be rejected?"
Several members were caught by the trick and voted the opposite of
what they intended but four changed their votes--Hardy of Guildhall,
Hayden of Barton, Hooper of Hardwick and Bliss of Georgia, just enough
to carry it. It passed the House March 9 by 104 to 100, and the Senate
March 20 by 16 to 11. It was signed by Governor Horace F. Graham March
30. Vermont thus had the honor of leading all eastern States in
adopting a Town and Municipal suffrage bill permit