The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-24
TO sUPPLANT LADY SOMERSET

Mrs Mary Clement Leavitt, honorary life
president Of the Worlds W. G. T. u. IL
active in an attempt to impeach Lady Henry
Somerset as president OF the Worlds Chris
tan Temperance union. In the course of a
long argument to support her position. Mrs.
Leavitt says
In the providence Of God, by the death of
MISS Frances Willard, Lady Henry Somer-
set, who had been for some years. by cleo.
ton, vice president at large of the Wom
ans Christian Temperance Union, has be-
come Its president until the converting of
the next biennial convention, due in the
autumn Of 1899.
There are SO grave reasons against this
lady holding the office, that in my capacity
wrote to her on the 2Sth of February of the
present year, asking her to resign,
MY Ny reasons for taking, the step are the
following: p
It appears that Lady Henry did not con-
suit with Mrs Butler. the acknowledged
leader Of the purity work in the Worlds
union onie ~ by appointment Of the worlds Wom-
ans Christian Temperance Union the SUI
peiintendent of that department.; nor with
Messrs. Stewart and Wilson, both members
OF parliament, and also foremost leaders In
the reform nor, so far as it is known. with
any leaders of purity work, before she gave
her support to regulation" in India. thus
controVening the princip es and work of our
UNI I'D ana comm1tt,ng an act contrary to
tians - o--' 10
1t shows an unsafe and unjudlclal mind
When one Is willing to take so important
step against moral reform without hear
ing both sides.
Again, her tardy retraction is not salts
factory: Had she said 81 did wrong, or
even, Il made a mistake, 1 see nv error:
l regret 1t and the trouble that has grown
out of il" there would have been cause fer
hope that she would be true in future: but
this: II was misunderstood, and there
fore drop the subject This gives no
rational ground Of hope that she Will be a
steady advocate Of abolition" in future.
union, but we have announced our unutter-
able opposition to any compromise with
vice, and and. in no Organizing we have worked
india. and in all other countries where 1
organized the Woman's Christian Union.
not only announced this principle. but in
addition to the Womsn's Christian Temper
ance Union, to carry 1t out.
The friends Of regulation have rightly
understood that we do not oppose them. as
long as we retain Lady Henry as our lead
er.
Branch after branch has left the Worlds
union on her account. All over the world
out of the work for the same reason
Perhaps the best known Journalist of Eng
land today is Mrs. Lynn Linton, the pioneer
woman in the field of journalism. She lives
has fine view from her windows of London
house tops. For many years she has been
known not only for her articles on variety
Of subjects, but she has falso written MANY
excellent novels. Robert Southey was her
earliest neighbor, WalterSSavage Lander her
literary foster father and Charles Dickens
her first editor. He had very high opinion
Of her literary talents and her reliability.
and predicted a great future for her.
number Of English fwomen-actors. au-
thors and Observation-Disclosures signed their
names to the follgying( letter addressed to
M. Zola
"sir We, the Undersigned, women of Eng
universal feeling in this country concerning
the noble and dtshnterested part you have
taken in the cause of Justice and the position
in which you are now placed. We wish to ex-
press our deep sympathy with you at the
unjust penalty you ere asked to pay for fear
less utterarce of what you believe to be the
truth. We sincerely admire the noble cour-
age, seif-sacrifce and disinterested sincerity
you have displayed in a most unequal strug-
gle. At the same time we feel convinced
that your powerful and Clear intellect will
find some way of overcoming the apparently
insurmountable difficulties. and that you
will be able to continue, while all the world
looks on in admiration. the noble work you
have commenced. This we can say without
any bitterness against France. since we feel
morally certain that the good sense Of your
fellow countrymen will reassert itself, when
the clouds Of passion and prejudice now
binding them have passed away. Then
they will recognize we do now, that you
have been fighting almost single-handed. not