The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-07-06

arduous work of temperance reform
/ would, OF necessity, be of emotional ma
ture, and that this found it's outlet for
the time in mourning the loss of Fran
ces Willard. But that will not be said by
anyone who has attended this convention,
whether he be temperance worker or
merely an interested lOOker-On. *
The prominent workers came to Edin-
burgh, June 81, day in advance of the
convention, for the first session of the ex-
ecutive committee. They appeared to be
weIl-acquainted with one another, which
in fact they were, although so widely
separated in their homes. Many of them
had been in London together for the pre-
ceding week, attending the World Tenn
perance Conferences, called by the Arch
bishop of Canterbury. Lady Henry Som
land, Me. Miss Agnes Slack, of Ripley,
England; and Mrs. J. K. Barney of
Providence, r. l.. took important places
on the programme at the conference and
at the social functions given by the
Archbishop and his wife, and the Lori
Mayor and Lady ATayoress of London.
With Mrs. Lente Stevenson of Boston,
and Miss Anna Gordon of Evanston, Ill,
they went in party to Manchester,
where they were hOnOred by a garden
party given by the Lady Mayoress. Mr..
John Lille, a member Of the London city
council, and a wealthy temperance advo-
cate, joined his wife in opening their
London home to all the visitors in Lon
don en- route to Edinburgh, where they
met number Of distinguished English
refOrmerS
England, Scotland, the United States,
Australia, Canada, Victoria, Queensland,
South Australia, Tasmania, Brazil Bull
garia, Germany, Iceland, Japan, New
foundland, New Zealand Cape Colony,
India, Ireland, Madagascar, Norway,
A. IO.I. III,
resented at the executive meeting by
their presidents-WOmen who had
Travelled many thousand of miles to dis
cuss the progress of the work for two
years in all parts OF the world, and to
plan for it during the two years to fol-
low. English speaking women were in
the majority, for the work in India, in
Norway, and in most countries has been
carried on by English or American
women living there. The representative
Of Iceland was native, and her costume
attracted much attention, with it's Curl
GUS little black cap over her faxen
braids, her short skirt and bodice, and
long green mantle bordered with white
fur.
Lady Henry Somerset, in her Paris
gown, with her beauty of face and mark
of aristOcracy in manner and bearing,
met every glance with radiant smile of
great happiness in being there, and her
/ hand often sought that of Miss Anna
/ Gordon, the best-beloved of Frances Will
lard, and her literary executor, who was
/ at her side, The honorary secretary,
| Miss Agnes Slack, one of the prominent
! political speakers of her own country,
was on the other side. Hannah White
hall Smith, the author of The Christian S
Secret of a Happy Life was there, her
delicately cut old face beaming beneath
the white cap of rare lace. Four mis-
| SlOnar1es, who have been all around the
/ world
were there to report; Miss Clara Parrish
! OF Paris, ILL.,, Mrs. J. K. Barney of Prov
idence, r. l., Miss Cummings and Miss
! Vincent, both OF Australia. Miss Par
IRISH was sent out by the Young Women S
! branch OF the organization, and is her
self young woman with little of the
missionary label as generally recognized.
She is fond Of becoming gowns, Is pre-
possessing and VivaciOus, and looks like
she would make a splendid college chum.
The superintendent of the different de-
partmentS Of work were there Also MAX
ing in all over a hundred women.
Their meetings, which were of course
the most Important proceedings of the
convention, ended only with the conVen-
tiOn, June 26 Lady Henry was re-eiect-
ed president, and Mrs Il. NJ. N. Stevens
was re elected vice. president. Mrs. Ste
VEINS was well known in America, in Ma
tiOnal Charity Conferences, long before
her prominent identification with the W.
/ =. II. u. She has the keenness of the
! New Highlander in her insight into the
management of affairs. and the shrewd-
ness of a politician. A thorough grasp of
temperance questions ready command
of fOrceful language, and an indOmitable
energy have made her a woman of power.
The harassing matter of the Temple, at
Chicago, which had almost caused a
scandal at the last National Convention
in the United States, was decisiyely set
tied for good and all, and the World W.
G. L. u. has washed it's hands of the
whole concern. 1t was a gigantic
scheme, concocted by Marshall Field
and manipulated by Mrs. Matilda Carse,
OF Chicago, and the organization strug-
gled heroically to pay its debt to Marshall
| Field. But the Temple proved a white
elephant to the w. G. Il. u, and it's
abandonment was inevitable
The convention proper sat in the AS
sembly hall of the Free Kirk of Scotland,
near the historical spot where the Scot
fish martyrs were burned in the seven
teenth century. One hundred and thirty
delegates represented the United States,
and over four hundred members of the
British organization were present. The
i've days were devoted to routine bust
ness of all such conventions, and to the
binding together of all the links in the
chain of the white ribbon organization
encircling the world. Charles Sheldon,
the author Of In His Steps, has been the
CultL nlttSGu1lu0 SPEAKER anu ne SbdTb64 u
spirited discussion in the Edinburgh
press by a rOusing address on the first
day on the benefits of political prohibit
ton in the United States.
Numerous social functions gave their
opportunities for interchange Of ideas NOT
possible from the platform, and Opportu-
mites for Edinburgh to know personally
the leaders Of the organization, and to
come under stronger light of their in
huence.
But as the impetus to a great twentieth
csnCuty temperance reform IN oco6land,
enough to place it's results on the pages
of history, the Edinburgh convention, in
June 1900, OF the World S Women's Chris
tian Temperance Union will do it's great
est work, and make it's most righteous
plea for having existed.