History of Woman Suffrage/Volume 4/Chapter 67
CHAPTER LXVII.
VERMONT.[1]
Much credit is due to the New England Woman Suffrage Association for the life and efficiency of the Vermont society. In 1883 this organization secured the services of Mrs. Hannah Tracy Cutler of Illinois for a series of lectures. At the close of these, and pursuant to a call signed by twenty-five citizens, a convention was held at St. Johnsbury, November 8, 9, when, with the aid of Lucy.Stone and Henry B. Blackwell, editors of the Woman's Journal, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe of Massachusetts, and Mrs. Cutler, the State W. S. A. was formed.[2]
In over seventy towns and villages local committees have been appointed to distribute literature, circulate petitions and further the general plans of work. For the past two years the editors have been supplied with suffrage papers weekly or fortnightly.
Lecture trips have been arranged for the Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, vice-president-at-large of the National Association, Mrs. Zerelda G. Wallace of Indiana, the Rev. Ada C. Bowles, the Rev. Louis A. Banks, Miss Alice Stone Blackwell, Miss Diana Hirschler, Miss Ida M. Buxton, of Massachusetts, and Mrs. M. L. T. Hidden. Eighty appointments have been filled by Miss Mary N. Chase, A. B. Thirty conventions have been held at which valuable aid has been rendered by Mr. and Miss Blackwell, Miss Shaw, Mrs. Howe, Mrs. Mary A. Livermore and Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, chairman of the national organization committee.[3]
Legislative Action And Laws: Harvey Howes of West Haven was the only man in a convention called to aménd the State constitution in 1870, who voted to grant full political rights to women; 233 voted in opposition.
To secure to taxpaying women the right of Municipal Suffrage, has been the special line of legislative work for the State association. Petitions asking for this, with signatures varying in number from 1,225 to 3,616, and bills to grant it. have been presented in both Houses of the Legislature at nine biennial sessions, beginning with 1884. In every instance save one these have been referred to the Judiciary Committees. -In 1884 a Municipal Suffrage Bill was introduced into the House by O. E. Butterfield and supported by himself and Messrs. Adams, Henry, Stickney and others, but was lost by 69 yeas, 113 nays.
In 1886 a bill to permit all women to vote who paid taxes was introduced and strongly advocated in the House by Luke P. Poland. It was amended without his consent to require that they should pay taxes on $200 worth of property, and passed by 139 yeas, 89 nays. In the Senate it was championed by Messrs. Bates, Blake, Bunker, Clark, Cushing, Foster, Pierce, Smith, Stanley and Swain, but was lost by 10 yeas, 18 nays.
In 1888 a Municipal Suffrage Bill was introduced into the House by C. P. Marsh, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, that gave a hearing at which the State W. S. A. was represented. Later, at a public hearing in Representatives' Hall, Henry B. Blackwell, Prof. W. H. Carruth of Kansas, Col. Albert Clarke, Mrs. Mary W. Foster and Miss Laura Moore urged the passage of this bill. It was reported to the House "without expression of opinion..' The friendly members on the committee were Messrs. Marsh, Ballard and Mann. In the debate which followed, these three, with Messrs. Southworth and Dole, supported the bill; and a letter was read from Amasa Scott, presenting arguments in its favor. It was lost by 38 yeas, 192 nays.
Still later in this session a petition signed by the officers of the
State association asking that "property owned by women be exempt from taxation,' was presented in the House; as was also a bill by Hosea Mann providing that, "The property, both real and personal, owned by women shall be exempt from taxation, except for school purposes." This was defeated without debate.
In 1890 a Municipal Suffrage Bill was introduced into the House by Mr. Mann and favorably reported. by the Judiciary Committee, with reasons given "why the bill ought to pass," signed by Messrs. Thompson, Darling, Enright, Mann, Robinson and Smith of St. Albans. It was advocated by them, Smith of Royalton and others, but was lost by 99 yeas, 113 nays.
During this session a bill to incorporate the Vermont W. S. A., was introduced into the Senate by S. E. Grout. It was favorably reported from the General Committee, but was refused passage without debate by 8 yeas, 10 nays.
In 1892 Wendell Phillips Stafford introduced the Municipal Suffrage Bill into the House; it was made a special order and was championed by Messrs. Stafford, Booth, Darling, Enright, Martin, Taylor, Weston and others, and was passed by 149 yeas, 83 nays. When it reached the Senate it was reported from the Judiciary Committee with a weighty amendment, and a third reading was refused by 18 yeas, 10 nays.
At this session Gov. Levi K. Fuller in his address, under the heading of Municipal Suffrage, called attention to this question and advised "giving the matter such consideration-as in your judgment it may warrant."
In 1894 the bill was introduced again into the House by Hosea Mann, who advocated and voted for this measure in four sessions of the Legislature. Four members of the Judiciary Committee were favorable — Messrs. Ladd, Lord, Lawrence and Stone. Its champions were Messrs. Mann, Burbank, Bridgeman, Butterfield, Fuller, Peck, Paddock, Smith of Morristown, Vance and others. It was defeated by 106 yeas, 108 nays.
In 1896, for the first time, a Municipal Suffrage Bill was introduced into the Senate, by Joseph B. Holton. It was reported favorably by the committee; ordered to a third reading with only one opposing voice; advocated by Messrs. Holton, Hulburd, Merrifield and Weeks, and passed without a negative vote. When the bill reached the House it was reported from the Judiciary Committee "without recommendation." It was supported by Speaker Lord, Messrs. Bates, Bunker, Childs, Clark, Haskins, McClary and others, but a third reading was refused by 89 yeas, 135 nays.
In 1898 petitions for Municipal Suffrage signed by 2,506 citizens were presented to the Legislature and a bill was introduced into the House by E. A. Smith. This was reported by an unfriendly chairman of the Judiciary Committee at a time when its author was not present, and was lost without the courtesy of a discussion.
In 1900, petitions for Municipal Suffrage for Women Taxpayers were presented to the Senate; a bill was introduced by H. C. Royce, and at a hearing granted by the Judiciary Committee Henry B. Blackwell, L. F. Wilbur, the Hon. W. A. Lord and Mrs. E. M. Denny gave arguments for it. Adverse majority and favorable minority reports were presented by the committee. By request of Messrs. Royce and Brown, the bill was made a special order, when it was advocated by Messrs. Royce and Leland; but a third reading was refused by 13 yeas, 15 nays. Later in this session, a petition signed by the officers of the State W. S. A., asking that "women, who are taxpayers, be exempt from taxation, save for school purposes," was presented to the Senate. This was; by the presiding officer, referred to the Committee on the Insane.
The names of all members voting for suffrage bills have been preserved by the State association. The names of the opponents pass into oblivion with no regrets.
In 1900 a bill was presented, for the second time, by the Federation of Clubs, providing for women on the boards of State institutions where women or children are confined, but it was killed in committee.
In 1884 the law granting to married women the right to own and control their separate property and the power to make contracts, was secured through the efforts of the Hon. Henry C. Ide, now United States Commissioner in the Philippines. Since 1888 their wages have belonged to them.
Dower and curtesy were abolished by the Legislature of 1896. Where there are no children the widow or the widower takes in the estate of the deceased $2,000 and one-half of the remainder, the other half going to the relatives of the deceased. If there are children, the widow takes absolutely one-third of the husband's real estate (homestead of the value of $500 included) and one-third of his personal property after payment of debts; the widower takes one-third of the wife's real estate absolutely, but does not share in her personal property.
The Court of Chancery may authorize a wife to convey her separate property without the signature of her husband. The husband can mortgage or convey all his separate property without the wife's signature, except her homestead right of $500.
The law equalizing the division of property to the fathers and mothers of children dying without wills, was secured by Representative T. A. Chase in 1894.
Senator O. M. Barber, now State auditor, was the author, in the same year, of the law allowing a married woman to be appointed executor, guardian, administrator or trustee:
The father is the legal guardian and has custody of the persons and education of minor children. He may appoint by will a guardian even for one unborn. (Code, 1894.)
If the husband fail to support his wife the court may make such decision as it thinks called for, and the town may recover from a husband who deserted his wife and children, leaving them a charge upon it for one year previous to the time of action.
A married woman deserted or neglected by her husband "may make contracts for the labor of her minor. children, shall be entitled to their wages, and may in her own name sue for and recover them."
In 1886 the "age of protection" for girls was raised from 10 to 14 years. In 1898 it was raised to 16 years. The penalty is imprisonment in the penitentiary not more than twenty years or a fine not exceeding $2,000, or both, at the discretion of the court. No minimum penalty is named.
Suffrage: Women have the same right as men to vote on all questions pertaining to schools and school officers in cities. towns and graded school districts; and the same right to hold offices relating to school affairs. This law, which had been enacted in 1880 and applied to "school meetings," was re-enacted when the "town system' was established in 1892, and gave women the right to vote on school matters in the town meetings.
Office Holding: Since 1880 "women 21 years of age'" may be elected to the office of town clerk, and to all school offices.
In 1900 thirteen women were elected town clerks; six were serving as school directors, eighty-four as county superintendents and seventy-five as postmasters, according to the Vermont Register, which is not always complete.
Women sit on the State Board of Library Commissioners. In 1900 they were made eligible to serve as trustees of town libraries.
This year also a law making women eligible to the office of notary public was secured by Representative J. E. Buxton.
Occupations: No profession or occupation is legally forbidden to women.
Education: Equal advantages are accorded to both sexes in all the colleges, except that the State University, at Burlington, does not admit women to its Medical Department.
In 1888, Dr. E. R. Campbell, president of the society, reported as follows: "The Vermont Medical Society opens wide its doors to admit women, and bids them welcome to all its privileges and honors, on an equal basis with their brother physicians."
In the public schools there are 509 men and 3,289 women teachers. The average monthly salary of the men is $41.23; of the women, $25.04.
Progressive steps have been taken in the churches of most denominations. In 1892, for the first time, women were elected as delegates to the annual State Convention of the Congregational Churches. In 1900 there were fifteen accredited women delegates in the convention. The Domestic Missionary Society, an ally of this church, has employed sixteen women during the past year as "missionaries," to engage in evangelistic work in the State.
The Vermont Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, although it does not admit women to its membership, has passed resolutions five times in the last ten years, indorsing equal rights, and has petitioned the Legislature to grant them Municipal Suffrage. For this credit is due to the Rev. George L. Story and the Rev. L. L. Beeman.
The Free Baptist Church passed a resolution declaring unequivocally for the Christian principle of political equality for women at its Yearly Meeting in 1889. That year, for the first time in its history, it sent a woman delegate to the General Conference. .
A similar resolution was passed at a meeting of the Northern Association of Universalists, later in the same year. This church admits women to equal privileges in its conventions and its pulpits. This is also true of the Unitarian Church.
The annual meeting of the State Grange in 1891 adopted this resolution: "We sympathize with and will aid any efforts for equal suffrage regardless of sex."
All the political parties have been urged to indorse woman suffrage. The Prohibitionists did so in their annual convention of 1888. At the Republican State Convention that year the Committee on Resolutions, through its chairman, Col. Albert Clarke, presented the following, which was adopted: "True to its impulses, history and traditions of liberty, equality and progress, the Republican party in Vermont will welcome women to an equal participation in government, whenever they give earnest of desire in sufficient numbers to indicate its success."
- ↑ The History is indebted for this chapter to Miss Laura Moore of Barnet, who has been secretary of the State Woman Suffrage Association for seventeen years.
- ↑ The following have been presidents: Mrs. M. L. T. Hidden, C. W. Wyman, Mrs. M. E. Tucker, the Hon. Hosea Mann, Willard Chase, Mrs. A. D. Chandler, L. F. Wilbur, Mrs. P. S. Beeman, the Rev. George L. Story, Miss Elizabeth Colley, A. M. Among those who have served on the executive board are Mesdames L. E. Alfred, A. F. Baldwin, F. W. Brown, A. M. W. Chase, E. L. Corwin, C. J. Clark, L. D. Dyer, P. R. Edes, M. W. Foster, C. D. Gallup, S. F. Leonard, Emma J. Nelson and Julia A. Pierce; Misses Clara Eastman, O. M. Lawrence, Laura Moore, Julia E. Smith and Mary E. Spencer; the Hon. Chester Pierce, Col. Albert Clarke, Dudley P. Hall and G. W. Seaver.
- ↑ Some of those who have rendered excellent service to the cause are Mesdames Clara Bailey, Lucia G. Brown, M. A. Brewster, Inez E. Campbell, H. G. Minot, G. E. Moody, Harriet S. Moore, Emily E. Reed, Clinton Smith, Mary H. Semple, Anna E. Spencer, L. B. Wilson and Jane Marlette Taft; Misses Caroline Scott, Eliza S. Eaton and I. E. Moody; the Rev. Mark Atwood, L. N. Chandler, Editor Arthur F. Stone and ex-Gov. Carroll S. Page.