Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-08
MRS. ORMIsTON CHANT.
Leader of LOndOR's Social Purity
Crusndc I'm uOstOn.

Crusade I'm uOstOn.
Mrs. Ormston Chant OF whom the
Pail Mall Gazette says. "She looted all
the reputation there was to be made out
of the temporary closing Of the concert
halls. and when the issue came. she left
for America" arrived in Boston Sunday.
on the Cephaiona.
She declined to discuss the collapse
OF the social purity movement 30 far
as II relates TO the licensing Of concert
halls On other topics. she, however.
said: II intend TO speak in this country
on woman. suffrage and social purity
We have had municipal suffrage for
women. as you know. for a long time. in
England. but parliamentary representa-
ton remains TO be secured. begin
speaking here Monday night at the
residence of Mrs. O. c. Bull. in Cam
bridge, and will conflne my remarks to
woman's suffrage. 1 shall not speak in
Boston until later.
Il have nothing to say at present
about the criticism of the Pail Mall Ga
zette touching my connection with the
social purity campaign. ! so from Boston
to Baltimore 10 speak Of the social purity
congress-
TIE recent failure Of the crusade which
Mrs. Chant led against the Empire Music
Hall and It's ritals in popularity, by the
action of the London County Council In
restoring the licenses. makes her visit
all the more interesting, because me
English newspapers have not hesitated
to declare that ike the wise warrior
Mrs. Chant ran away that she might
live TO come back and fight httie more.
Her explanation of the rev'llsion OF ieei-
ins In London concerning the work OF the
Dnr I have Inn
oortant bearing on the manner in which
recent occurrences will BIZ regarded.
Mrs. Chant is by no means stranger
on this side of the water. she mas visited
this country three times. and has many
devoted friends. She was one OF the
women delegates to the Chicago Fair,
and was also one Of the representatives.
70 the Womens Parliament, which was
held in Washington in 1888.
She 10 described by her friends TO be
a woman Of indomitable pluck and per-
ssverence. She reminds one very
much. in appearance, OF Mrs. Kendall,
the actress, though Mrs Chant is of
much slighter figure. Almost since she
has been freed from school duties she
has devoted herself TO matters which were
Intended TO reform certain portions
of society. or to at least amellorate
their condition,
Mrs Chant first served as governess
in q young ladies' boarding school ana
then became interested in mission work
IN India, and decided that before sailing
for the Orient she would become prdc-
,ical nurse. She served a considerable
time in the Nottingham Hospital, and
subsequently in the London Hospital.
Then she made up her mind that she
would like 10 become woman DOCTOR
and apply herself TO insanity and win
that end I'm view, she became an assist
ant manager in an insane asylum.
But then her marriage diverted her
mind from purely philanthropic thoughts
and she became a lecturer When, In the
heat Of the Empire crusade she expressed
herself on the question of amusements III
this way:
II like music halls immensely. and l
DO not think 1t wrong to have legs. ana
don't object to tights, as SUCH nor 90
object TO the ballet.
when. however tights are only the
medium for the exposure OF the Dody'
and those bodies belong to women, theh
the whole thing Is wrong, and should be
stopped A self-respecting woman would
not care TO exhibit herself in puhilc IN
this way. and If ballet-girls think nothing
of it. then they have lost something
which humanity cannot AFFORD TO lose.
We have no right TO sanction on the
stage what, II done on the street. would
cause policeman to lock the offender
up
Mrs Chant has published two volumes
Of poetry, and has written voluminously
on matters in which she is interested.
She numbers among her close friends
Miss Frances Willard. Lady Henry Som
crset, Miss Helen Taylor, Mrs. Eliza
beth Cady Stanton, and Miss Susan Il.
Anthony.
Her primary object In coming to this
country this time is to 20 on an extended
Iecture-tour. chiefly In the West.