Inn. In between attending various fund-raising functions for the £20,000 appeal,
she informed Sam Robinson on 15 August that she had ‘to use’ the letter he had
sent. ‘It has been a sad business & has given me a good deal of pain.’^3 Emmeline
Pethick Lawrence spoke bluntly to Emmeline and Christabel about the internal
tensions, pointing out that she had come into the movement because she had
confidence in their policy and did not want to see their leadership ‘watered
down or diminished or even thwarted by some system of committee control
enabling others, without the same vision, to share the leadership’; unless they
continued to lead, she would have to reconsider her position.^4 At a meeting
held on 10 September, Emmeline reasserted her authority as leader by declaring
the constitution of the WSPU relating to organisation annulled, the annual
conference cancelled, and the election of a new committee by those present.^5
She then called upon all members at the meeting to give her their loyalty, the
majority agreeing to do so. Unable to accept the authority of Emmeline
Pankhurst to introduce such changes, Charlotte Despard, Edith How Martyn,
Teresa Billington-Greig, Caroline Hodgson and other disaffected members left
and formed another grouping which two months later was termed the Women’s
Freedom League (WFL). Charlotte Despard was elected its President.^6 The WFL
was also a militant organisation, with a policy similar to that of the WSPU, to
which, of course, militancy was not exclusive. Since the dissenters had originally
claimed that their organisation wastheWSPU, Emmeline’s society was initially
distinguished from its rival by being called the ‘National Women’s Social and
Political Union’ (NWSPU), a nomenclature that was soon dropped in favour of
the more popular WSPU. Emmeline and Mabel Tuke now became joint
Honorary Secretaries of the Union, Emmeline Pethick Lawrence and Christabel
continued as Honorary Treasurer and Organising Secretary, respectively, and
Elizabeth Robins, Mary Gawthorpe, Nellie Martel and Mary Neal became
members of the Central Committee.
On 13 September, a relieved Emmeline wrote to Elizabeth Robins,
welcoming her to the committee and pointing out how they had said as little as
possible to the newspaper reporters. ‘All our best workers are with us. They are
most enthusiastic about future work free from intrigue & wire pulling.’
Emmeline also suggested that if Elizabeth was going to send her the advance
proofs of the suffrage novel she was writing, The convert, then she could devote
Sunday to it.^7 When the proofs arrived, Emmeline, who was in Bradford, spent
all night reading them, despite the fact that she was feeling ‘rather worn out’
after rushing about all day and having two meetings. She took the time to make
suggestions for change, revealing how she could be thoughtful and caring for
women she knew and with whom she worked:
I like it all immensely. ... The only thing that jars is Mrs. Martel. She
is such a good soul really & I fear she will recognise the portrait. I
would not have her hurt for worlds. She is horribly sensitive under that
surface that repels you. Is it too late either to cut her out or alter herAUTOCRAT OF THE WSPU?