Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-13
The womau,s Labor League.

LETTER FROM Ex-TREAsURER SKINNER ON TIL
DUSrRIAL BOARDING HorJSE-MRs. MILLER, Mr. s
OCoSNELL, AND THE wosIAN'S LEAGUE
The deliberations OF the Woman'5 National
Labor League at their room In the Coreoran build
Ing, were opened last evening with the reading
OF letters from vaEouS persons encouraging ths
movement. One letter was from Frederick Doug
las5and said: ANY movement whether originate
and carried on by men or by women, or by both
combined, which in any measure promises fail
play and more work for women has my earnea,
support My head is made to ache daily by the
sad stories OF women in want OF work Without
undertaking to say how many women should be
government, I do hold that wherever women can
De employed TO advantage, the doors should be
open to them"
COMMISSIONER MoRGANs VIEWS
Another letter from District Commissioner
Morgan, expressing his sympathy with the move
ment to establish readinS-room for working
this time, more than any other in our previous
history, is this great need felt and demanded.
We have In our community large number OF
women. who are bravely and earnestly tOiling for
subsistence and home without mans aid. They
are found In our stores, telegraph and telephone
companies and the various departments OF the
needed to live and the opportunity for mental I'M
prov9ment very limited. Your reading room will
supply free mental food, and must result IN great
gooi TO large number OF persons"
LETTER FROM Ex-TREAsURER SPINNER
Another letter, in which the ladies present
seemed to take especial interest, was from ex-
treasurer f. f. Spinner, dated at Mayport, Fla
This etter said:
"Now, in regard to the question OF women's rights.
L ain entirely out OF politics, and do not wish to
write any thing that may get into the newspapers.
am now an octogenarian, and am entitled to that
rest that so much need. My record in regard 10
this question is well known. When quite young
me my feelings were outraged by the treatment
that married women received from their brutal
husbands by the sanction OF the common law of
England, which remained the law OF most OF the
states, and is so now, unless repealed by statute
law Ia SOBER truth the woman was the slave of
the man. then started out to help right these
brutal wrongs, and announced my determination
to never rest satisfied until woman was made q
man, l. e. until the law accorded to her all the
social and political rights inherent in man..
Soon after, Miss Frances Wright, an English phi
lanthr0pSt, came to this country, and preached a
crusade against the wrongs OF woman My sym
pathies were with her, and so my political friends
denounced me as "Fannie Wright man."
That, at that time, was great slur on ones
political reputation. But l survived 1t all,
and soon had the satisfaction to the grosser
wrongs that had been heaped upon women taken
off by statute laws of my native state of New
York. But the denial OF right Is OF itself great
wrong, and therefore, so long as woman is denied
any right possessed by man, she is wronged Of
her rights. TO correct tliS wrong have labored
came into Congress l voted for woman for
chaplain TO the House OF Representatives. For
this was most bitterly denounced; but the intel
llgent men OF my district returned me to my seat
In Congress again, and again. When went into
the Treasury OF the United States in 1851 1t be-
came evident that the clerical force OF the Office
would have to be largely increased / then saw
my long wiShed-for opportunity to do something
In the interest of downtrodden women. l had a
nara time OF 1t to get them appointed as clerks,
but after long discussion got the consent OF Gov
ernor Chase, the then Secretary Of the Treasury,
10 Try It. l commenced with six ladies, one OF
whom is now fourth class clerk at 81, 500. When
l left the office there were nearly two hundred
female clerks in 1t, and they now number thou
sands IN the various departments OF the govern
ment For this act now have tne satisfaction OF
feeling that have not lived entirely in vain. But
much Is yet to be done. do not hope to live to
see woman the peer OF man; but as sure as there
is just God, who will make conscientious men to
see their duty and do 1T. women will be righted."
He has done more for women here in Washing
TOM said Mrs. Roberts, when Mr.. Spinners letter
had been read. ethan any other man" She moved
vote OF thanks to Mr.. Spinner, which motion was
amended so as to include all the gentlemen who
had written letters, and then carried. lady
gave an account OF the efforts OF the Associated
Charities to relieve distressed women.
MRS. BUTLER's PROPOSITION.
MIS- M. A. Butler, referring TO many young
ladies who worked in stores for s. week, and
VINO could not get board for less than S. proposed
that ladies' Industrial cooperative boarding
0cdy In the city would provide a house containing
ten or twenty rooms she would accomplish
more good than had been done by any
that ladies' could be boarded for $3.50 week.
She dit not propose to make it an Institute
loaded down with rules, but home, and she pro-
posed TO have there also sort OF labor exchange.
She enlarged upon the dangers to which young
women are exposed by being turned upon the
Mrs. Butler formed the theme of discussion during
the greater part of the evening, and remarks were
made upon 1T by Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Greene, Mrs
Roberts, Mr.. Brown and others.
MRS o'CoNNELL AND MRS. MILLER
Mrs Smith remarked that she had received
letter which she had forgotten to bring to the
cent ScandllouS scene, and whom Mrs. Smith pic
tured as an injured woman. Mrs. OCopneli, she
said, had expected TO be there that evening, but
Was detained, she supposed, by Illness.
Mrs. Miller, "the other woman" IN the scandal
referred to on two or three evenings, took an
active part In the proceedings of the league
preaching woman's rights and greenbacker prnci,
pies, and Mrs. Smith was very severe in condemn
ing her, relating incidents which she said had
come TO her knowledge regarding Mrs Miller.
M. Brown declared his purpose to see the ladies
OF the league protected and advised that the rep
utati0ns OF those applying for membership be
Mr.. Calvert declared that Mrs. Miller had never
become member Of the league; she had been
present, out mad not enrolled herself as member.
CONVENTION OF THE Y. NJ. C. AIT the eleventh
annual state convention OF the Young Mems
CHRISTIAN Association CT Maryland, West Virginia
and the District OF Columbia, meeting in Charles
town, W. Va, yesterday. the following officers
berland; first vice president, f. E. Sheldon, OF
b. fillmore; second vice president E. H. Grant. OF
W Wa third vice president. NImrod Trus-
sen, vi CharleStoWn, w. Va; secretary, VIM.
Cummings, OF Homestead, Md.
THE GRAND JURY reported presentments as fol-
lows to-day: Joseph Covington ana Henry Rollins
assaulting an officer; John Brown. alias Gaither.
petit larceny. second Cffense; Edward Berry grand
larceny and burglary; Lewis X. Boot violating In
ternll revenue law; Charles Hamilton, murder of
George A Hill: Maurice Corners, Patrick McNulty
and James Reynolds, rape, and Benz. F. Fletcher,
grand larceny.
RIFLE MATCH TO-MoRROw.-The Westminster
Rifle club OF Carroll county, Nd, will visit this
ci'y tomorrow and shoot a match with the COlum-
bia R'ne club. AS they were unable to furnish a
larger team than four members, a similar team
has been selected for the match, consisting of Col
burnside and Mr. Laird. DR.. COulSon, OF Baltimore
Dr. Scott, of Sandy Springs, Nd. all members OF
the Columbia club The match will be shot over
the 500 and 6O03ard ranges
THE IAXIDERMISTS.-At business session Of the
society or American TaXidernfSts held Monday in
Rochester, n Y, the following Washingtonians,
all or the National Museum corps OF preparators
weFa elected active members OF the society, and
VIII t1ke part In the New York exhibition: Joseph
Palmer, Henry Marshall, John w. Hendly, VIM
Palmer, Andrew H. Forney and Lewis Mccormick
MI Jacob II. Studer, author and publisher OF
Studer'S Birds OF North America, was elected an
honorary member, and his appointment as presi-
dent or the board or exhibition commissioners
warmly approved. Mr.. Edward J. Brady who has