The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-10-13
Our @lio.
Woman and Law.

/ FROM inc ltOhle JoniiaL
Hon J v Coffey, judge of the probate
court of San Francisco, although, if we
mistake not. bachelor, is as learned in
the ways Of women as he is in the law.
He makes the remarkable statement that
at law women are .ungrateful Like the
sound lawyer that he is, the able jurist
gives reasons for his opinions Here are
Judge Coffey' words
Women, if they think a thing ought
to be true, will declare it to be true so oft
en- that they will end by believing it. No
one who has seen women in the witness box
will deny that there is some ground for the
charge When a woman is summoned into
court. she generally has made up her mind
how the case should 90. and all her evil
dence viii be shaped to eonduce to that
end In ordinary life she may be truthful
and honest: but as witness she will, as
a rule, suppress facts and distort her state
ments so as to give them a color to suit
her hopes
That women are suspicious Is merely
another way of saying that they are women.
They have been under subsection for gen
erations and all subject races are prone to
suspicion, says Judge Cofey. Even in
our day, when woman is admitted to be
as good as man. and little better, too,
men are constantly setting traps to ensnare
confding maidens and buxom matrons, and
it behooves them to see that there is not a
snap-catch to the bouquet of flowers or the
box of bonbons. Bred in such habits, they
carry their suspicious nature into court.
They imagine they see trap in the SIM
plest question. They detect trickery in the
plainest form of pleading, they suspect
every one, from the judge on the bench to
their own counsel They do not under
stand the motive of this question or that
objection, and they fancy there is some
thing concealed which bodies them no good
When lawyer spends day in court
pleading case for female client, he has
to devote an hour or two in his office to
explaining why he did this aud did not do
that 4 male client would trust that he
had done what was right and proper
1t is almost impossible to make woman
see that cases in court must be conducted
according to the rules of law. For good
and substantial reasons, the law of evil
denee forbids lawyer from putting certain
questions to witness.
when these questions would have ellie
tied answers more favorable to the woman
side. she cannot be made to understand
why they were not put. She suspects the
Judge of being prejudiced against her, and
suspects her own counsel of weakness for
not sitting down on the judge. She does
not see why the code and the statutes should
stand in the way of her getting justice
She is capable of believing that they were
framed especially for the purpose of wrong
ing her sex.
But it is in dealing with her own lawyer
that the daughter of Eve comes out in her
most viti,... :9aloES- When woman has
lawsuit, she, as a rule. mentally selects
lawyer to conduct her case. If, on apply
ing to him, she finds. as She often does,
that he is not hankering after female eli
ents, and he says that he is so really over
whelmed with work that he is taking no new
cases, she becomes more convinced than
ever that he is the only lawyer to whom
she can confde her interests. and she half
suspects that his reluctance to act for her
is part of conspiracy against her rights.
She insists, implores, beseeches, entreats
with tears and sobs. and, in the end, the
lawyer yields and takes the ease. From
that hour his peace of mind is at an end.
She is at his office daily and hourly. She
insists on con6ding to him matters which
have no bearing on the case. She puts
Hypothetical questions to him out of his
wits. She overwhelms him with sugges
tons and objections to the course he pro
y,,oas 10 ,,,,,S,,a Che infarfaras NTH hin,
in court, and almost takes the case out of
his hands At last the case is tried, and
is either won or lost IF it is won she be-
lives that it is won on its intrinsic merits,
in spite of his laundering If it is lost. it
is lost through his mismanagenent.
Whichever happens, she is in no mind
to pay him his fee. 1t is only BY threat
eniDg her with legal proceedings that he
can collect his costs and honorarium