Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-24
LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL.
How She Conducted Her Husbands
Parliamentary Can vass i'm Birming ham.

| Special Correspondence of The n. Y. World
| LoNDOS. Dec. 1.-The two most prominent
figures during the late election canvass in Birm-
| ingham were not the rival candidates, John
Bright and Lord Randolph Churchill, but the
Duchess OF Marlborough and Lady Randolph
Churchill. The latter especially put forth ar
| dent and strenuous efforts to secure the cleo
| ton OF her husband. And she all but sue
| ceeded. While at the last election John Bright
had nearly seven thousand majority over so
| popular candidate as the late Colonel Burn
ably, his majority over Lord Randolph a few
| took the management of the campaign
into her own hands, and proved herself
| 10 oe us popular with the Birmingham
with the Woodstock laborers Even the
radicals admired this new chief of the Primrose
| league. and cheercd her wherever she appeared.
Lady Churchill may be said to have introduced
anew engine OF political warfare into English
elections The people of Birmingham, who
take their politics seriously as any other
business. at first looked with derision on Lady
Chufchilis new body. with its knights and
DANES and badges. and held aloof from 1t. But
| Ihey soon found tao league meant serious bust
ness. and tina: Lady Randolph was the head of
weil-discipiined paaanX of lady canvassers
whose influence WAS not to be despised. Lady
Churchiiis method of clcctioneering was as
follows: She opened a habtatiOn In Birming-
ham with "a force OF 500 ladies' A number of
these were assigned to the task of making
nous'a-to-house visitation. Each lady was re-
! sponsioe for certain section of a certain ward
Or OF a certain street. and each had a little book
| to jot down her memoranda. Lady Churchill
| herself. without having amy special section.
visited all the doubtful cases. The candid
friends who at first laughed at Lady RAN
dolphs league were soon appealing to her for
help. The ladies Ofthe league visited some ofthe
poorest houses in Birmingham and encountered
its toughest classes. Speaking Of her manner
Of argument, Lady Randolph says: ~ tell them
what our side thinks of the questions of the day
lit may be the church, it may be fair trade or
II may he the land. and they agree with me or
not as the case may be. The factory masters
|
employees whether they were of our persuasion
or no. And found by this means was able to
get over the ground with greater rapidty."
Lady Randolph Is of opinion that "lady canvas.
sers perhaps evince more tact than a man, and
she also regards the personal house-to-hOuse
Visitation and the little chats with the electors
or their wives means towards political
education. Lady Randolph and her canvassers
had to be extremely careful not to be entrapped
ill the meshes OF the Corrupt Practices act, which
is terribly severe on canvussers and agents.
\ story Is told of a candidate who was walk
beggar accoSted him for charity. ~ cannot
give YOU anything, my good fellow, though you
wers Sarvlns am candidate indie e; for paria
and I'll find IT." But the candidate took no
chances. Lady Randolph was careful ito have
the best Legal opinion" for her every move.
Over forty thousand badges were issued for
her organization Immediately preceding the
election. 1.-The league" she explains, lis called
into existence to bring conservatives together
in friendly and united work for the advance
ment and maintenance of those constitutional
principals WHICH nave maze England what she
is, and to maintain the cause OF religion and
monarchical government, as against atheism
and republicanism'
Lady Churchill, as is well known, is a daugh-
ter of Mr.. Leonard Jerome, of New York. She
is beauty and II scholar, and when her hus-
bands reelection was neceSSitated, Il few
months ago, by his acceptance of place in
Lord SalisburyS cabinet Lady Churchills iaSci-
nations and ability were sufficient to counter
the Duke OF Marlborough. Lord Churchill and
Lady Churchill, then Miss Jerome, first met at
n dinner in Paris. Lord Churchill was dazzIed
and fascinated by the beauty and brillancy OF
the New York girl. The admiration was mll-
tual. After dinner she remarked to her sister:
going to marry him. BY a curious coincidence
Lord Randolph made an almost identical re-
mark about her at the same moment to one of
his friends. Lord RandOlph's advanced and
considerate views on the Irish question are said
to be the result OF his wifes influence.