The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1878-05-03
WAsnlNoroN. D. C..

/ - NoeAtAAtAA DAdANB tlo W Gil fo 0bOub HDCiChH
queens, and lobby queens in Washing
ton Such are tho wonderful facilities
for the transmission OF news and COS
sip, from the capital to the remotest
town, that, for any one to become ia
nous or infamous, in Washington, is to
gain national distinction or notoriety.
Who has not heard Of Boss Shepard,
Beloa A. Lockwood, and DR.. Mary
Walkerl If any one protests against
the tripling of these names, 1 will say
that it is only for the sake of ARGUMENT.
The patent street grader, the fantsstic
female in pantaloons, and the woman
lawyer, have nothing in common, ex-
cept in the fact that they are conspic-
uous characters. The sketching of con
gressional stars, and telling the most
trivial things about them, has been a
little overdone, and propose to write
about few famous female personages,
who are as consistent in their ineonsis-
tencies as Blaine, Bayard, Cox, OF But
Ter.
Mrs Beloa A. Lockwood, by her
persistent knocking at the doors of
Congress for admission to the Supreme
Court of the United States, has become
somewhat famous throughout the eoun-
try There is some difference of opin-
ion as to her ability as a lawyer, but
she is certainly ready and effective
speaker, exeelling, perhaps like many
lawyers, in what may be called senti-
mental law. She is shrewd and sue
eessful in the management of her cases,
and whatever advantage she may take
of the opposition, she is a little unique
in that she has not been knoEa to take
advantage of her clients. The late bill
which passed the House of Represen-
tatives, TO permit female practitioners
TO appear at the bar of the Supreme
Court, was fer her benefit She has ag
present two important cases pending
before that Court, which she is debarred
from pleading on account Of her sex.
One of the cases is a Cherokee Indian
claim involving sSioOo,oo0. The bill
which passed the House in her favor
has failed 10 pass the Senate, bat not.
it would seem, from opposition Of that
body; the learned Judiciary committee
Of the Senate assumed that an enabling
act was not necessary, since The Court
itself had exclusive jurisdiction in the
matter. This view Of the Senate would
seem to involve deadlock, on nice
question, between the highest judicial
and brightest legislative body in the
land for, when Mrs. Lockwood applied
fo- admission at the bar of the Supreme
Court, two years ago, one Of the reasons
for refusal, as given in the opinion of
Chief Justice Waite, was that there
/ hs,,} been no legislation for the admis-
sion of women. Eirs. Lockwood is now
in The fifth year of her practice and has
all the business she can attend to. She
is distinguished for great perseverance,
practice, and tact Her speciality is
government claims When she began
practice, her property consisted of a
few feet of real estate in a cemetery,
now she is werth $4,000, and her
practice brings her a yearly income of
about five times as large as the salary
of clerk in the treasury department
Mrs. L. is widow, nearly fifty years
of age; she is quite able to support a
husband, but evinces no inclination to
marry again. She has dark eyes, white
hair, kindly intelligent features; her
dress is quiet, elegant, and black her
jewelry gold thimble, which she sar-
castically wears as breast pin.
Dr. Mary Walker, distinguished for
her persistent parade of semi-male at
tire, is native of Oswego, New York ;
and her family is one of standing and
responsibility. Long years ago she was
married to Mr. Miller, but whatever
distinction he may have gained from
that union, he has now no right to
claim for he was divorced about twenty
years ago, and Dr. Mary has resumed
her maiden name. Congress voted her
gold medal for, services during the
war, and the Secretary of the Treasury
had her elected from his department,
not long since, because she was annoy
ing! DR.. Walker has a big boot, but
wears little foot She has suffered
years chronic martyrdom of ridicule,
IN the cause of comfort, health and
principle; at least that is her view of it
and the air of mingled resignation and
resistance which forty-nine years of
Perverse heroism have stamped upon
the face, form and gait, of the grotesque
little woman is pathetic rather than
funny. 1t is impossible for me to de-
scribe her clothes, even superfcially.
She wears kind of dress, with densi
skirt, in fact, the demiest skirt you ever
saw, a caney and a pair of pantaloons.
1t was the intention of your cores
pondent to interview her tailor, but he
| learned on inquiry, from one Of her