Resignation of Mrs Josephine Butler.

White Ribbon, Volume 3, Issue 31, 1 January 1898, Page 8

Resignation of Mrs Josephine Butler.

Mrs Josephine Butler has resigned her office of Superintendent of the Social Purity department of the World’s W.C.T.U. The reason assigned is the re-election of Lady Henry Somerset to the office of vice-president. Mrs Butler feels that having given nearly thirty years cf her life to the abolition of the State regulation of vice, she cannot hold office in a Union which has as a vicepresident one whose views on this matter are unsound. The resignation of Mrs Butler is a matter for deep regret, and it must be conceded that the position she takes is a perfectly defensible one. At the same time we do not see that it would have been right to have ignored Lady Henry Somerset’s grand service because of her mistaken idea that mitigation of the results of vice by means of State regulation is possible. Lady Henry is opposed to vice in every form, and in her letter of resignation Mrs Butler freely and generously acknowledges the sincerity of the motives and the purity of the aims of Lady Somerset. It must be admitted that the position is a difficult one. In order, however, that it may be seen that the W.C.T.U gives forth no uncertain note of hostility to the State regulation of vice we quote the resolutions passed by the last three Contentions held in America 1. The Canadian resolution (October 22nd): “That the Canadian W.C.T.U. is unalterably opposed to any and all complicity of the Government with sin, and as British subjects they strongly protest against the enactment by law permitting the Regulation of Vice in the Military Cantonments in India, and declare such law' ar. outrage on Christianity, civilization, and common humanity; also that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Lord George Hamilton, Lord Salisbury, Mr Balfour, and Lady Henry Somerset.” 2. The World’s W.C.T.U. resolution (October 26th) : “ That as always in the past, now we are unalterably opposed to any system of license or regulation of the social evil, and that we make our solemn protest against the legal, voluntary, or compulsory examinations either of men or women, where this is done in the interests of impure relations.” 3. The United States W.C.T.U. rejolution (November 2nd) : “ We reiterate the principle that God,

through natural and divine law, calls man to be as chaste as woman ; and, since upholding the obligation of God s Seventh Commandment is the only Christian and scientific manner of dealing with disease due to vice, we are unalterably opposed to the slightest legal recognition of prostitution, and to the voluntary or compulsory examina tion of men or w imen in the interest of impure relations. We utter this our conviction and protest and our determination never to surrender the principles for which we have always stood as a body, and this we do in the name of God and home and every land.”