Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1889-12-22
LAWYERESSES.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE
HUSBAND OF AN ASPIRANT.
Mr.. SMITH GIVES HIS OPINION.
He Thinks Women Should be Admit
ted to the Bar-NOt an HnmO.
walton OH Southern
Customs.

DANvILLE, Va, December 20.--The
question of allowing women to prac-
tise law in the courts OF the state has
awakened SO much interest here that
tie Register has interviewed mum
Der of lawyers of this place in regard
to the proposition. The discussion is
of particular interest to this city, as
it is here that the lady who desires to
practise and has been refused, resides.
The lady in question is Mrs. Annie
Smith. She was born something over
twenty-one years ago in the eastern
part of Ohio. She was reared in West
Virginia and was educated in the
schools of Wheeling, w. Va, and
Pittsburg, Pa. Her maiden name
was Miss Annie Duff, and three years
and few months ago she was mar
ried to Mr.. Z. A. l.. Smith, who was
then and is now q member OF the
Danville bar. The marriage took
place ut the brides home in Marietta,
Ohio, and from that time until few
tHO, 4ul tlANi DAl D. AilAiSt - NJ
in Danvile. Their home is now in
North Danvile. Mrs. Smith is q lady
of literary attachments, writes well
and is hard student, being exceed
ingly bookish. At the suggestion OF
her husband, she made the study OF
law Il speciality in her literary re-
searches, and it is said she has laid in
a store OF legal knowledge that many
young lawyer would be proud to
start with.
Mr.. Smith, speaking of his wife's
desiring to practise said;
$50 far as the question ofright goes,
woman has as much right to prac,
tise law as man, and if have no
objection to my wife being associated
with ME as law partner and she has
no objection, don't see why it should
be opposed, except / am aware there
is an old fogy idea that it is calculated
to lower the standard of woman.
Now as to that point it is sufficient to
saw that it is admitted by all English
speaking people that the American
women are the best, purest and most
intelligent of the world, which fact, 1t
is conceded, is due to the further fact
that in this country women associate
more with men and have more liber-
ties in general than any where else on
the globe,
1t is a mistaken idea that this prop
osition is q woman s-rights measure.
1t is simply intended to change the
present law so as to allow woman to
obtain license to practise law, if she
wishes to. 1t does not extend to her
the right of suffrage or the right to
hold office. 1t cannot be objected to
on the ground of interfering with a
prerogative solely mans. for in oil
cases, or nearly all in which women
have been admitted to the bar in
other states, they have been associat.
ed with their husbands or some intl'
mate male friend, and in most IN
stances in the capacity of a junior
partner expected to do only ONCE
work.
1t cannot be claimed to be an limo
walton on southern customs, for wo'
men have right to practise law in
North Carolina, Missouri and Florida,
while in the west-Ohio, Kansas, Wis
consin, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, In
diana and California permit women
to make their living at the bar. Many
of these states have broadened thell
statutes purposely to admit women to
the legal fraternity. IL is claimed by
some that this so-called innovation
will seriously interfere with woman's
domestic affairs. This is all bosh, for,
in the first place, she may not have
any domestic affairs to look after
and, in the second place, she herself
is the best Judge as to whether II
pays her better, or suits her better to
look after other business and pay
some one to keep an eye on
domestic affairs. One or two
little domestic affairs remarked Mr..
Smith with smile, ''are not expect
ed to occupy all of a smart woman's
attention, and in the meantime, why
shouldn't she be allowed to practice
law if she wants to.
my wife," he continued, "has stud
led hard, prepared herself for the bar,
and is fully competent to stand the
legal examination required of men,
and I see no reason convincing to ME
why she should not practise. She has
studied at my request, and anything
that can do to secure her admission
to the bar will be DONE
The other lawyers Of the town were
divided in their views.