New-York tribune., 1884-01-26
TIE CA.E or MRS. MILLER.

H. appears that the Solicitor of the Treasury
Department has submitted to the Secretary OF
the Treasury Hn opinion of d snguIatV Trcle-
want character, GprOpOS of the legality of issuing
a certificate as master of a steam vessel tn Mrs.
Mary A. Miller, of Louisiana. In the first place
the Solicitor discharges bis Official duty by stat
ing that there is no provision of law prohibiting
the issue of such license to Il woman. That, oil
course, is all that the Solicitor has any business
with. and ut this point his opinion should have
ended. BUTT seems that he has personal feelings
on the subJectOf wOman's mission, and though the
Secretary Of the Treasury certainly never asked
him 10 give his views on such u question, he has
felt called upon to supplement his statement OF
the law with long, rambling, IncOhrrent and
altogether unreasonable dIsquialtlOn upon
wOman's rights. One would suppose from the
paniCky tone in which he writes that Mrs.
Mlllers application w;Ls an entering wedge for
the Introduction of an army OF AmazOnS, and
that thousands of women were waiting
in broathless expectation the result of her eX-
pertinent, prepared TO rush hoadlOng into
all the most arduous and disagreelble Occupa-
tlOns OF men, If this pioneer was successful. IL
ia scarcely necessary IL say that such apprehen-
si0ns are Ridiculous, and that all fear that
women may by any change in law be induced to
"unseX' themselves, rs the rhetorical solicitor
phrases it, Is sheer nOnScnse.
As matter 0f fact there arc very few OCcupa-
tions IN TINS country winch are not. and which
have not long been, rs free To women as To men.
But they do not seek these occupations for the
perfectly sufficient reason that they are women.
Nature can be trusted 10 MAINTAIN the disLnc-
ton between the sexes without any help from
apprchensIvc and fusSy solicitors or others.
There is no moro danger that women will seek to
usurp masculine enpioyments than there Is that
men will do the opposite. anl 1--we out as nurses
and maids-of-al work. But those occupations
wherein women possess equal capacity with
men, they naturally enter. and II Is perfectly
lI5ht ANA proper that they should, SINCE wICh
All The beautiful attributes ANA gifts bestowed
| upon woman, enumerated by the Solicitor OF
| the Treasury, there goes, IN the majority of
cases. tho stcrn necessity Of earning d iivell-
| mood. lt is indeed curious that, notwithstanding
| the alainIst predictions rs 10 the results ot the
woman ) rights agitation, the fact remains that
men enCrOacn more upon occupations Especially
! adapted to women. than women do upon mems
occupations.
! But what have these considerations to do
with the particular case OF Nrs. Mary Miller !
! Simply nothing at all, and therefore the
Solicitor, iE bringing them forward has been
| beating the air. TDe fact ia that Mrs. Mary
! MIllcr's is q wholly exceptional case. and ought
to DO w treated. She has fitted herself
! thoroughly for the command of q steamboat. 1t
| is said that she knows the Mississippi "a well as
any pilot She Is familiar with all tie duties of
! the position she seeks. Sho has actually COM
manded the steamboat which she OWNS. She Is
/ n thorough business woman, and aS such trusted
| by merchants and shippers. All the testimony
| that has been brought forward IN the case shows
| that she il fully competent 10 I'LL the place Of
steamboat captain, and all her personal in
| terests require that she should Fave the license
| for which she asks. And since 1T is perfectly
! apparent that such case can by no possibility
! constitute IL dangerous precedent, and since,
| above all. the law opposes no obstacle to the
! granting Of the desired certificate, it is hard
| to understand upon what rational ground
| the Secretary of the Treasury can refuse Mis-.
! AilleI's application.