ting tax paying
women to vote and hold office.

1919. Mrs. Halsey W. Wilson, its recording secretary, was sent by the
National Association to assist the State Executive Board during the
legislative session. A bill introduced by Senator Carr of Caledonia to
repeal the Municipal suffrage act was promptly defeated. Effort was
now concentrated on the Presidential suffrage bill, which was
introduced January 14. The Senate passed it by a vote of 20 to 10 and
sent it to the House, where it was first read on January 28 and
referred to the Committee on Suffrage and Elections, which reported in
favor. The bill was read the second time and several motions to defeat
it were made by Representative Hopkins of Burlington but all were lost
and the third reading was ordered by a vote of 129 ayes, 83 noes. At a
hearing February 4 the following spoke in favor: Dr. Sherwood, Mrs.
Fred Blanchard, Mrs. Joanna Croft Read, Senators Steele, Vilas and M.
J. Hapgood; in opposition, Senators Carr and Felton, Miss Margaret
Emerson, Mrs. Wayne Read, Mrs. H. C. Humphrey, David Conant,
Representatives O'Dowd, Cudworth and Hopkins. On February 5 the bill
passed by 120 ayes, 90 noes. Governor Percival W. Clement vetoed it in
March on the ground of unconstitutionality, though eight Legislatures
had passed a similar bill without question and Illinois women had
voted under one in 1916.

The State suffrage convention was in session at Burlington and
immediately on its adjournment March 12 Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, the
national president, and fifteen of the delegates went to Montpelier,
where Mrs. Catt addressed the Legislature. The Senate reconsidered the
bill and passed it over the veto. On March 17 the Speaker laid before
the House an extended communication from Governor Clements giving in
detail his reasons for failing to approve the bill. It was then read
and Representative Tracy moved that it be made a special order for the
following Thursday, which was agreed to by 104 ayes, 70 noes. At that
time the question, "Will the House pass the bill notwithstanding the
objections of the Governor?" was decided in the negative by 168 noes,
48 ayes. The next year the women were fully enfranchised by the
Federal Amendment.

FOOTNOTES:

[185] The History is indebted for this chapter to Mrs. Annette W.
Parmelee, State Superintendent of Press, State Secretary and State
Historian for the Vermont Woman Suffrage Association.

[186] Among those who addressed the