The Press., 1897-11-18
w. C. T. U.
Lady Somerset's Election.

ptAts Ol II ooluS Tetu 1L tFodGS 64t0nSlVe- ly of the departmental work of the w. c. T. U-, and of its affiliated interests. It has section upon the National Council of Women and the Mothers Congress, while its appendix includes long list of recommendations" for the coming year and ''The Progress of Women in 1s97."
 Miss Willard paused for explanation. Lady Henry Somerset was elected in Toronto by no secret committee. The Worlds w. c. T. U. is constructed just as the National Council and the Inter- national Council, by the coming together of an executive committee in which the different countries have their due pro- portion of representatives. Every general officer and every one elected at Toronto was elected in the same way, and it has been the custom since we adopted our constitution. No innovation was made for the sake of Lady Somerset. There is not one iota of truth in that statement. It may be that some of the ladies felt that they would like hand in it, either for or against. l think she would have been handsomely reelected in open convention not that we are uf her mind, for we are just the opposite. (arplause.) But old Lord Salisbury, the man who would not listen to all England when it wanted him to help the Armenians; who would not listen to all England when 1t wanted him to help the Greek he and his government with @ majority of 150 in the House of Commons, had it settled to reintroduce a modification of the c. D. Acts That was perfectly well-known and was as certain to happen as the certainty that two and two make four. Lady Henry knowing that, endeavored to put into that system tive things that she thought would bring some amelioration and some improve ment. am sorry she did it. You touch pitch and you are defiled. (Applause.)
 "she thought by having the women ex- amined by women physicians, it would be less barbarous. We would not lift an | eye-lash about their being examined at | all we were dead against it. She thought that by having every single man, who ap- preached the quarter where these women were, examined and registered, it would keep the decent ones away. Suppose every man in this city who is known to | resort to houses that are not nameable even here, knew that he was to be regis tered, do you not think there would be a thinking in their going That was the position taken by Lady Henry Somerset. | SflsS ia fod f0 ho of fv as any woman here; she will prove it to you yet as she has in the past. Dr. Bush. nell and Mrs. Andrews had not a woman to stand by them and help them and go with them and preside at their meetings like Lady Somerset. When Sir Charles Dilke foisted himself on the voters in g certain bailiwick in England Lady Somer. set, the only person that dared to do 1t
 went over and stood before the voters, and they would not let her speak, and she stood there for a quarter of an hour while they were hurling epithets at her anC
 making perfect Babel around her, ant then she gently and sadly bowed and re
 tired, and when she took her carriage they threw beer mugs and other missiles
 at her and cursed her and insultcd her
 and she was in absolute danger of hel
 life, as I have been told by those who
 were present at the scene.
 "Lady Somerset has reformed more women than any other person that
 know, taking them out of the police courts
 and work houses and everywhere nd sh'
 will be where we are some day. We will
 accomplish no good by forcing her out O
 the society, but by showing something O
 that gentleness, as dear Clara Hoffman
 said, which we exert toward high-licens
 pastors whom we do not put down from
 their pulpits. God bless the dear heart
 now that she Is i'll and sorrowful. (Amel
 by many.) Iknow this convention vii
 send her the kindest sisterly messages but she will also know, and knows it nov that we are still ,as ever, uncompromising ly against every form of regulation o
 social vice. (Applause.)
 ttI think that bitter denunciatiou of an co-worker implies a condition of hear that is not sweet toward God. 1 think
 Is better to err with too much kindness t the individual than too little, and put ii , your efforts to bring that one to wher you want him or her to be. This con
 vention does not speak harsh words t any human being, for it has always bee the policy of the w. c. T. U. not to spea. with severe epithets of the brewer or dis
 tiller or saloon-keeper, because it woul not do particle of good. An epithet i
 the cheapest kind of thing that can b
 flung from human lips"
 Miss Willard defended herself agains the attacks made upon her by some, COT tending that she was paid to defend Lad Somerset. She stated in detail tn . amount of realty she owned and her 1T 3 come. with its sources. Two thousan . dollars was paid to her annually by th national w. c. T. U.
 q During the last few years an additions . $1 900. has been given her by Lad = Somerset in return for her work for tn
 worlds w. c. T. U. Since that tim n $1,OOO. of the money received from tn
 national has been used in the forwardin Of its work. Anybody who would b. > lieve these things about me-" she saiC
 must sit up nights to do it," Applause
 It would not be strange if Lady Henr - helped me, but that would make me spea out all the palmer"
 It need hardly be said that Lad t Somerset has never dreamed of applyin r. the method she advocates outside tt e British Army in India
 B. Dr. Sir Benjamin Ward Richardsol D. who, in commenting on the most loatl 3, some disease that impurity causes, hs }, left on record these golden words: Ever
 kind of remedy has been proposed f, |, this disease, every kind of means h' u been carried out for its prevention exceI
 one, and that ia puritv.n