Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-09

sponge. rs i were, OF government interior
euce in its hand,
TO WIPE IT OUT.
Then one lone woman also arose This
one lone woman, almost unaided, defeated
the entire efforts of the entire trade unions
OF England. conquered the opposition Of in
! difference of two home secretaries, Childers
| and Matthews. in succession. nodded pub
lie opinion TO the cause Of the pit-brow
| lasses: and achieved one of the most re-
markable social and labor victories ever
| won in Great Britain.
!, 1t is pleasure TO make such Il woman
! better known TO Americans. Her name IS
! Mrs. Margaret Park, late mayoress of
! Wigan. Her husband, deceased in Noven-
| Der, 1890, was Leading iron merchant there
and perhaps the most popular individual in
! Lancashtre-the one exception being his
! wife. He was elected 10 the mayorIlry for
! five successive terms. between 1892 and
| leSS, the same being counted an eNtraordi-
! nary honor. as Wigan is the Oldest borough
| in Lancashire, having ! municipal history
| dating from the days of Chiva!ry and the
| cl'lSadeS. Tie city is the center of the
| Lancashire coal and iron trade. II IS dis
! trict of collieries aud GOLFERS. Mrs. Park
| is Lancashire lady by birth anG has al her
| life Striven for the bettermcu- Of the Lowry.
/ She is Il shining example OF II thoroughly
! cultured woman of wealth, making
use OF her gifts and means in her own
neighbOrhOOd. without requiring Il mis-
SION or the recognition OF the Sunday pa
pers in order 70 reach the highest fruition
OF her genius for good. She consequently
knew these Lancashire folk III their every
day toll and in their homes. Naturally she
was beloved and almost idolized. And she
knew too, possibly because a woman, aud
because of intelligent studies and practical
ministratioGS, the merits Of the pit-brow
AMI OTHER LIVING MAN or WOMAN.
These 6OO0 helpless women had no defend
en-. She instantly became one. BY clear
and truthful presentations of their morality,
their healthfulECSS, their need and that of
those dependent upon them, and the injuS-
tice of the proposed deprivation of their
only means OF subsistence, with her ringing
urgency upon the influential women OF
England of the principle that all avenues
for voluntary labor by women should be ey-
banded rather than restricted. such noted
women as Emily Faithful, Lady Latham
and Lydia Becker, of woman'S rights fame.
gave the pit-br0w woman's cause their
support instead Of opposition. lEtelligently
presented facts and clear, cogeut logic on
the subject Were at once supplied 10 Home
Secretary Childers, aud 10 Mem
bers OF parliament. With the
enthusiastic cooperation Of Vicar
Mitchell Of PCmbeFt0u, IA inpOr.
IT, "
number OF women work at the pit-brow,
great meetings of the pit-brow women
themselves We're held, and these We're fol-
lowed by like great gatherings IN Yorkshire
and Wales. This class of women are noted
for their integrity and bluntness. They
are jannock right through as they say in
Lancashire They not only have ready
tongues, but there was 4, To them. terrible
conviction and necessity behind their rude
speech. Petition after petition was dis
patched to London. These extraordinary
gatherings Of extraordinary women, with
an extraordinary woman a. their leader, in
tcrprcter and dclvercr, mad an electrical
effect throughout Britain. \ complete re-
vulsion OF feeling and conviction WAS the
result.
Not content with this, Mrs Park insisted
that now as the pit-hrow laSseS had been
heard at home they should also be heard in
London within the awful silences of the
home secretary's Office, If need be. But Mr..
Childers had heard s,ch tales of the ANA
cons in the press, read such tragedies OF
them IN the shilling shoclIcrs. and seen
such hidcoGs representations of them in the
illustrated prints, that this WAS too much
No BrobdiGnagian. s0Oty hcroines, armed
with shOvelS, spades, screens. clogs and
perhaps picks. for him. The hint Of their
readiness to swoop down upon him, with
what had already been done ana the pros,
VI A1oN uClIAss t.uoL44LilOl-S
The measure. were seemingly sufficient. III
prohi bitory clause Wa; Withdrawn, and tie |
pit brow lasses of England ard Wales wet
destined to remain a permanent British ina
But their first victory was temporary |
one. Tile trades ulions, appearing to !
accept defeat, were only await =.
ing better opportunity Just year lateAfzs53
early in the spring of 1851. word cams5Sf
Mrs. Park from London that the cM&te |
against pit-brow womcns work was again |
being pressed, secretly, but powerfully, by |
trades union and other political influences. !
and that there was great danger of the !!
recommending the meas Xe |
through the then new home secretary, n |
Matthews. w.
Mrs. Park at once determined thatshe |
pit brow women should so in person bsaore |
parliament and the home secretary. Hhe .
wrote and telegraphed minc-owners seul- I
plOying women 20 call meetings, explained /
the threatened danger.and asked the women ,
at mines to elect by ballot two of their /
number from each mine 10 Join the deputa-
ton. This was done, the lasseS bearing ]
their own expenses by subscription, so thats51
no faint OF mine-ownerS interest could -
away sped the
UNIQUE DEPrTATGoN TO TIE GREAT CITY.
4 continuous ovation greeted them all the
" uN 10 LOuNOi- MIS-. f>Gfh ndu meantime
secured permission from Secretary Mat
hews to present the deputation The
women were lodged at the Girls clue and y
home, Soho Square. The arrival creater
he greatest interest and excitemea
Royalty itself never attracEd y
greater crowds. They were t&cH
o Parliament house and were also gr9lt3 b
peep at the house of lords. Theyla{7a
makers OF Great Britain were won der Nj
body
The next nor ming the entire london
1ress rang with their praises, patiiet Nsily !
old the story of their toll, and denounced
hose who had threatened the prohibition II
i their arduous and honest labor. Then
anne the memorable parade, or denonstra-
ion, through Regent street, Oxford stressfF
long Pail Mall, across St. James Park andA
Whitehall, and on TO Westminster hotel
where four of the girls We're robed in their
id pit-brow costumes. Then the procession
moved on the home office, million English
zen cheering them as they went Hero
lrS. Park laid their claims before Mr. Mat
hewS III few ringing sentences. which ,
terary critics have asserted comprised the |
riefest. yet most splcndidly logical and |
owerful address ever pronounced by En- |
liShwoman IN any cause. Nor were the !
asses themselves slow of speech Theil. |
ynorance Of the sedate for;nalities of the
lace led 10 innumerable vociferous and
ointed interruptions. They cam oOp to
.unnun to speak GOT, IN speak DOT tina wud