Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/679

VERMONT 663 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 1 5th 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. Alison, 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 lardwick and Bliss of Georgia, just enough to carry it. It el the House March 9 by 104 to 100, and the Senate March 20 by 16 to 1 1. 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 permitting paying women to vote and hold office. 1919. Mrs. Halsey V. Wilson, its recording secretary, was