The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-14
4 WISCONSIN JUDGE TO THE RES.
OUH<0F'THE ALMIGHTY.

sin, lady lawyer of fine legal ability
and unexceptional character, who had
practiced law in the lower courts of the
State for the space of two years, and
having a case taken TO the Supreme
Court, sought admission to its bar to
conduct the same. Her arguments for
admission accompanied her application,
and were so logical, just, and conclusive
that it seemed impossible for any one
invested with the judicial ermine to set
them aside. However, in this instance,
as in every other in which women have
sought equal opportunity to labor with
men in remunerative employment of
theirown choosing, bitter opposition was
expected and encountered, and Justice
for the time being veiled her eyes and
stepped aside, as she beheld the farce
that was enacted in her name. In read
ing over the opinion of Judge Ryan, de-
nying the application, we can but won
der what would become-O the govern
ment of the Almighty, if these dignita-
ries placed in power by the least of His
creatures did not so valiantly rally to
His defense and keep one-half of His
creation from overturning or abolishing
His laws. Truly, If this sort of thing
goes on much longer, the good old order
of prayers and thanksgiving will have
to be reversed, and go from the Creator
to the creature, instead of Vice versa, as
now.
The opinion of the learned judge, by
which he evidently expects to secure
for himself the place of vice-regent for
Jehovah, with big salary for all time
to come, is quite too lengthy to give en-
tire in our columns, so for the present
our readers must content themselves
with few extracts. We quote:
'sWe cannot but think the common law wise
In excluding women from the profession OF
law. The profession enters largely into the
well-being of society, and TO be honorably
filled and safely to society eXacts the devotion
of a life. The law of nature destines and quail
fes the female sex for the bearing and nurture
of the children of our race, and for the custody
of the homes OF the world, and their mainte-
nance in love and honor. And all lifelong
calling of women, inconsistent with these rad
ical and social duties of their sex, is the pro-
fession of law, are departures from the order OF
nature; and, when voluntary, treason against
! it."
Had Miss Goodell, or any other wom-
an, denied that nature destines and
qualities women for bearing and nursing
children, this part of the opinion of his
honor, Judge Ryan, might constitute a
reason. But as women not only admit
but accept this order of nature, the
treason" is entirely superfluous. The
argument here seems to be that because
the majority of women are mothers,
Miss GoodelI shall not be allowed to
practice law. Not because she is not
qualified. Oh, no; but because she is a
1Oonan. The judge goes on:
at would be revolving to all female sense of
innocence and sanetity of their sex, shocking
to mans reverence for womanhood and faith
in woman, on which hinge all the better affec-
tions and humanities of life, that woman
should be permitted to mix professionally in
all the nastiness of the world which finds its
way into courts Of justice; all the uncIean is
sues, all the collateral questions, Of sodomy,
incest, rape, seduction, fornication, adultery,
pregnancy, bastardy, legitimacy, prostitution,
lascivious cohabitation, abortion, infanticide,
obscene publication, libel and slander of sex,
impotence, divorce; all the nameless catalogue
of indecencies with which the profession has
to deal, and which go toward filling judicial re-
vulni ha Tor
edge Of the law. This is bad enough for men,
Almost all the crimes above enumer-
ated are impossible without the partici-
patton of women, and in the prosecu-
tion of any one of them, any court
would compel the attendance of women
as witnesses, if circumstances required
it. Suppose, for a moment, that wom-
an should refuse to respond when sum-
mened as witness in any such case,
and give as her reason therefor, that it
would be shocking to mans sense OF
reverence for womanhood and faith in
woman if she should testify. Would
the witness be therefore excused
| Would the foul-mouthed attorneys who
usually conduct such cases abate one lot
of their indecent and irrelevant uues-
tioning? No. 1t is only when woman
would appear as the counsel and friend
fof woman, and by her very presence and
legal ability beat back the tide of inde-
cencies that frequently defile the courts
of the land, that salaried officials take
swift alarm lest "man's reverence for
womanhood receive a shock"
The judge discourses in Pharisaical
phrase upon the character of this appli-
cant, thus:
"This is the first application for admission oi
a female to the bar Of this court. And it is Just
matter of congratulation that it is made in ia.
vor of a lady, whose character raises no per
sonal objection-something, perhaps, not al
ways to be looked for in women who forsake
the ways of their sex for the ways of ours"
Coming over in our mind the many
specimens of lieentIousness and de-
bauchery that habitually and unchal-
lenged practice law in every portion OF
the nation, we feel that it would be a
further matter of congratulatIon if the
lady referred to might enter the lists
and bring with her sufficient number