The Evening critic., 1883-02-02
INDIGNANT LEAGuERs
who Were Turned out of House
nnd Home Bitter Denuuciation of
The Owner of the COrcoram Build.

having been cvicted from their spacious
quarters in the Corcoran Building, assem-
bled last night in Mrs. Smiths private of
fec on the opposite side of the hall. The
quarters were small, but the lcaguers were
present In full numbers and were boiling
over with indignation.
The league has never hitherto decorated
its rooms with even the smallest sign. and
not a semblance of shinglc has ever di-
rected the seeker to the portals of the as
sembly-rOom, but last night an immense
blackboard, extending almost across the
hallway, bore the legend, in yard long let
tiers,
"The wOmau's League
Inside the little apartment men aud women
were seated on every variety Of chair aud
stool while the president and secretary sat
at a large desk, over which was suspended
a picture of Cupid and the leagues broom
stick
On the desk lay large painted hatchet
which had just been presented by an anony-
nous friend of the league, and on the head
| of which was pasted THE Critics head
line,
"The Lady Leaguers Going For the
ScaIDs.''
| When indignant Mrs. Smiths gavcl fell,
| and a death-like stiffness resulting from
the pent up anger of the outraged members
|
| the assembly was for the purpose of holding
an indignation meeting and protesting
| against the unjust treatment which they
| had received at the hands of W. w. Cor
| coran, esq. The secretary then read the
| following letter, which was addressed to
Mrs. Smith:
"I learn of your disposession of the
league room Shall say am surprised?
That were to confess ignorance of all his
hnt caprp1 nd fI.,
foundation of the world every advance
mcnt in the scale of human progress has
been met by persecution
''The Noble HIyBntia
was sacrificed to the blind bigotry of man
Joan de Arc died the death of the martyr
Servitus fed the baleful fires of persecr-
tion. They may claim that such persecu-
tion is of the past, and has no place in
modern history. There is moral persecu-
tion as potent as the blaze of the fagot. The
noble souls that lead the van of progress,
that seek to lift humanity from the slough
of degradation, have ever suffered at the
hand Of the ignoble, the low and base.
"Atfluence of soul does not always ac-
company afflucnce in worldly possessions,
as you have learned.
THE philanthropy that dreams only of
worldly applause, hears not the pleading
voice of the distressed heeds not the fall
orphan.
Yet fain would Keep poorer ones down.
Those who like not the crust of the striving
To grow TO a loaf like their own
Shame to those who forever are grasping
At more than one mortal need hold
Who0e heart-strings are coillng and claspng
Round all that gives promise of gold
Shame to those who, with eager attaining,
Are willing to take but not give,
Whose seinshness-coldly enchainlng-
Forget 1t should "Live and lot liye."
"The noble work, madam, in which you
are engaged must go on, the wheels of
progress revolve not backward. There are
brave hearts and willing hands ready to
aid, to encourage. grieve that advancing
years have robbed me of strength to become
your coadjutor. l can only send word of
greeting, and bid Godspeed you and them
who labor with you for the elevation of
humanity.
Respectfully, dear madam,
JOSEPH III. LANGHAM."
Several parties then arose in succession
and added their voices to the shower of on
probrium which was being heaped upop
the head of the philanthropist, and the
following spicy protest was read, adopted
and ordered to be sent to all the labor or
ganizations
The Protest.
"As the Women's National Labor League
has been elected from their quarters by
order of the landlord, w. w. Corcoran, it
is due to the members and the public that
the facts be stated. The room was rented
to Mr.. Macdonald and he leaving the
city for time, the league with his per-
mission and the consent and knowledge of
Mr.. Corcoran's agent took possession of it.
Mr.. COrcoran's agent afterward requested
Mrs. Smith to pay the rent to him and not
to Macdonald. Mrs. Smith rendered the
rent and was told by the agent to wait
until they could hear from Mac
donald rendered second time Mrs.
Smith was told that Mr.. Corcoran did not
want the league or any woman in the build
ing Mrs. Smith met Mr.. Corcoran and re-
sented what she deemed an insult to
women. The league had incurred the ex-
pense of furnishing the room, not di canning
that a man who had risen from the humb-
lest employment would turn his back upon
an association created to help work
ties thus far had only been toward
decayed gentility, and well-adver-
tised monuments commemorative
of his suddenly acquired wealth. This is
not the only act of Mr.. Corcoran in which
he has shown the spirit of intolerance COM
mon to men of mean degree suddenly ex-
allied. He has dictated to his employees
what organizations they should not join,
anu tuc ie'iSuc lS Oue. lie mas deducted
two days pay from an employe eighteen
years in his service engaged in consigning
the remains of his son to the grave. A poor
colored man was roasted in the furnace.
room of the Corcoran building and died
from the effects, but Mr. Corcoran did not
contribute to the support of the poor vic
TINS family. Mr.. Macdonald, the tenant,
expressed the opinion that Mr.. Corcoran
would give the room rent free to the
league, but when required to pay the
rent to the agent it was rendered.
With this simple statement the public can
Judge how far Mr.. Corcoran is worthy of
his title of philanthropist. His phlan-
thropy seems to run only in the channel of
art, decayed gentility and schemes Ike
Bennett's Polar Expedition, Vanderbit's
Egyptian obelisk, and poor Payne's relics,
in which the advertisement is world.
wide, yielding even post t-mortem notoriety
to the contributor.
THE Woman's League is but in its in
fancy, but will live to do good long after
MIR. Corcoran's bones are beneath his costly
monument now on exhibition
Feeling that it is not the president of the
league who is thus ostracised, but an ex-
preston of the estimate in which the labor
element of the country is held by this
philanthrophist, We do enter our protest
against such arbitrary procedure emulating
the system of landlordism now prevailing
in poor, oppressed Ireland"
After the disposition of the protest Mrs.
Smith made an address reviewing Mr.. Cor
coran's actions toward the league and her