The herald., 1893-11-26
WOMAN AND THE LAW.
Views of Distinguished Feminine Pupils at
the University of New York.

Views of Distinguished Feminine Pupils at
the University of New York.
One Of the most remarkable events of
the closing months of the year 1898 is the
enrolment of 100 female names in the
woman's law class of the University of
New York. Every woman who has
joined the class has reason for doing
so. There is Mrs. Mary White Martinot.
She is the talented mother of Miss Sadie
Martinot, the actress. Mrs. Martinot is
the most renowned of all the women in
ventors of the world. She has realized
S5 patents on her creations, and she has
begun the study of the law to protect
her in her inventions. Mrs. Martinot is
a very earnest woman, practical and
honest in her convictions, and has deer
determination to become proficient in
her studies.
Nine. Albert, the principal of the Del
sarte School of Expression on Fifth ave
nue., takes up the lectures for self culture
Il believe that every woman should
thoroughly understand her position in
the law" said Nine. Alberti when asked
for her opinion. "It is ridiculous to be
constantly confronted with woman's ig
norance in the practical ways of life. An
ordinary, everyday business man, or even
q gentleman of leisure, forgets more IL
one half hour Of the practical laws OF
life than most bright women ever knew
Perhaps one can account for this wher
it is realized that men have lived always
in an atmosphere of knowledge getting
They have been allowed every freedom
and every implement to raise them te
the heights of their ambition, while un
til very recently women were told tc
cook, wash dishes, take care of the ba
bies, trim hats, sew, sit in glass case OF
keep quiet.
why, pray, should women not be
come lawyers? There is no sane reason
Women are smart, energetic, truthful
loyal, clever, strong and persevering
And then, whether a woman wishes te
put her sign out as barrister or not, she
should study law carefully in order te
catch up with the regular army of cul
tured men,"
Imogene c. Fales of Brooklyn is per
haps the most distinguished member OF
the class Mrs. Fales has for 10 year.
been engaged philanthropically in so
ciology. She is the proprietor and edito,
of The Sociologic News and is one of the
first women editors of the two cont
nents. She is also the leader of the Peo
pies party of Kings county and was the
first woman ever sent as delegate to
state convention.
''As to the study of law for women
said Mrs. Fales, there can be no an
swer but that it is as much a necessity a.
with men. believe in it and need i,
myself. Some knowledge of law seems
to be required by every business woman
If clever young woman has a taste foI
law as profession, she should be en-
abled in every way to perfect herself
All over the west there are more than
thousand women lawyers. There is moi
a town of over 800 inhabitants that ha.
not its lady lawyer and glories in hel
as well as in its lady doctor and its lady
minister not to say its lady bank cash
ier' and lady politicians
II am glad to see SO many young WON
en- attend this law class with the idea Of
becoming practicing lawyers, for it hat
often occurred to me that women in the
east will never get equal suffrage unit.
they swarm and swamp the states with
women lawyers, who will contest the un.
just clauses of the laws which bar then
from citizenship to the last degree ant
demand what our constitution gives us
freedom and equality" New York Her
old