The Portland daily press., 1895-11-09
MISS WILLARD RETURNS.
Talks of Her Experience in Elections
in England.

in England.
Women Are Important Factors and 1aAo
Great Interest-Meetings Are Ere
| auently Held in School and Vestry
Rooms and Speeches are Made by Both
Sexes-Story of Two Armenian Retu-
pees-Account of the Baltimore Conven-
| tion.
| Miss Frances E. Willard has been talk
ing interestingly at Chicago of her trip to
London, of the work there, and the re-
suits attained by the W. G. I. U.
"We saw good deal of the system OF
elections and electioneering in London,
she said. ssThe campaigns carried on there
in the interests of the various candidates
were widely different, and in more ways
than one, from those we see SO much Oh
in this country. The women are such
| important factors in London elections
| that we were brought in contact Win
many candidates and were present at
many meetings in their interest. one
surprising feature of the meetings was
that instead of being held in corner halls
or other places of like character there
were scores of gatherings in school-rooms
and vestry rooms.
WOMEN TAKE GREAT INTEREST.
"The interest taken by the women was
phenomenal. l remember one we ATTENDED
=,
any one unused to English political
gatherings. This meeting was called to
promote the candidacy of young barrister
whom we knew, and several women spoke
| in favor of his election. There was
large constituency present, and the speech
Of the evening and the one about which
all the interest centered was the one
made by the barrister's mother.
ssLady Henry Somerset and I went to
the North of England on political jaunt
and spoke for the Liberal candidates, two
of them being Sir Wilfred Lawson and
the son of Lord Chief Justice Russell.
"The English man or woman IN
private life is inclined to keep quiet, but
at political meetings both are demonstra-
tive. was impressed with the sponta-
neity of the audience. If the speaker
touched popular chord the enthusiasm
was great, and if the speech was not
thoroughly in accord with the tempera-
ment of the listeners, cries to stop were
heard. There were no Kisses, such as too
often characterize American gatherings.
| "The Armenian situation caused much
| feeling in England. There were two
refugees in London. Lady Henry Somer-
set took care of them for few days.
| Their presence partly accounted for two
| immense demonstrations held in the
town, which were presided over by the
Duke of Argyll. At one of the meetings
the two refugees, man and woman, were
on the platform. Lady Henry spoke on
the subject, and while referring to the
woman motioned to her to stand up. Size
did so, and her husband, seemingly with
an innate feeling of sympathy and cour-
tesy, arose with her and remained stand
ing until she again resumed her seat.
CASE OF ARMENIAN REFUGEES.
"The case of these two people was Pc
culiarly sad. Their baby was taken away
form the mother, but the parents escaped.
Lady Henry desired to take them to her
home in the country. When they were
driven out of London and reached the
country, when the broad fields stretched
away lin every direction, the woman
looked at them a few minutes and than
burst into tears She managed to make
it known that the country reminded her
of her own home and she said, sobbing' as
though her heart would break, she want
cd to return to the city.
"My plans for tho future arc not entire
ly completed. They will be partially de-
termined by the meeting of the general
officers to be held here next week. Mrs
Catherine Lent Stevenson, General Cor
responding Secretary; Mrs. Carrie G.
Hoffman, Recording Secretary; Mrs.
Helen NJ Barker, Treasurer; and myself
will make quorum. shall probably
be in Chicago about three weeks and then
Miss Gordon and 1 will make a trip
through some of the Southern States