The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-15
New Phase OF Woman's Rights.


The hearts of the sable legislators in Co.
lumbia were thrilled by the announcement
of Wright that he intended to test the Civil
Rights bill, though it should cost him his last
cent. In his own person an outrage had
been inflicted upon the colored race, and by
his own purse that outrage should be terri
bly, avenged. We are informed that Wright
processes to be lawyer; it is pity he had
not better case. Certainly it would not be
easy for him to appear at greater disadvan-
tage; for both the wrong Of which he COM
plains and the pledge he gives to his ag-
grieved fellow-citizens are equally pitiable
Wright complains that he was turned out
of the ladies' car. What business had he
there? Does he not know that any man, OF
whatever color, unattended by domestic
responsibility, has no right to occupy that
car? He is allowed to sit in it only by the
sufferance of the conductor, and may be
turned out at the will of the latter. Nor are
we aware that the conductor is obliged to
give reason to any intruder why ne should
leave. Wright's seat may have been held
in reserve for expected lady passengers or
his looks may not have been in his favor, or
he may have had too much musk-on his
pocket handkerchief. Who knows? The
whole wrong consists in this, that the ag-
crieved senator tried to take lady's place
and was ordered out Of it. There Is no evi-
dence to show that he or she carried the Gus
tomary fan and lunch-basket, or wore her
veir her bonnet, or even her chignon. There
is reason to believe that she dressed like a
man, that she disputed her place like liti-
gous man, and clustered among the ladies
like an ill-bred man, and that she was finally
carried out of the cars, and not kicked out.
This is the substance of Wright's wrong.
Now as to Wright's proposed sacrifice,
not for the sex, as one would suppose, but
for the race. Here the lawyer so clearly ap-
pears that we must ask the outraged lady's
pardon for resorting sometimes to the mas
culine pronoun. We do not mean to preJu-
dice the case by this little change.
sswe see the Wright and we approve it too."
We know the cause is lost unless she can
maintain the character of an outraged lady.
But Wright before the Labor Convention at
Washington, or the Legislature at Columbia,
is not whit more feminine than Mrs. DR..
Walker in her coat and pantaloons. Well,
then, Mrs. Wright in Columbia proclaims
that he will spend his last cent in vindica-
ting her right to sit the ladies' car, or as
she expresses it, in testing the virtue OF the
Civil Rights bill. That bill shall be liquida-
ted by the turning inside out Of Uncivil
Wright's pockets. But, as Pope says:
'Woman's at best contradiction STILL"
for it was this same lady who engaged the
Labor Convention at Washington "to create
"a fund to prosecute any such case OF ex-
"clusion under the Civil Rights bill, and to
s'test the virtue of that BILL" That is the
fund that Wright intends to work on, and
we have no doubt that he will even consent
to receive his fee for his work. Whether he
succeeds in the case or not, she can certain
ly make more in that way than by stitching
or darning stockings. While women are so
poorly paid, what can we expect but an
effort on their part to secure larger sphere
and more remunerative employment. Let
Mrs Wright go ahead with her railroad case.
He will make good thing out OF it and put
money in her purse!