The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-30
The Relation of Woman to Society and Her Influence

handiwork. TLey arc not proud OF him
as a product.
Their claim for recognition must be
made upon some other ground and the
recognition must be more substantial
than the assignment OF the empty honors
incident TO disagreeable domestic and So
clal duties which men avoid and then
plead womcn's willingness TO serve or
peculiar fitness TO serve.
NOT FoR "woMAS's RIGHTS"
When we refer TO womans influence
on society and demand for 1t greater
scope. we do not wish 70 place this col
umn into line OF battle for the "Wo-
mans Rights" for which conventions
are called and meetings held by soured
matrOns and ancient spinsters; far from
st.
The women Of Virginia are not anxious
10 vote. or TO become soldiers, and
70 70 war They only wish TO
have every avenue 10 honest self-sup-
port open to them. with equal pay for
equal work. and their rights Of property
duly respected.
They DO not ask TO vote, because they
have no desire 10 exercise that right.
Why IL is denied 20 them. however. they
never will be able to understand. II one
or country, 70 will be found that the
periods in which the Anglo-saXon race
10 which we belong. made most progress
I'm all that makes a people great ana
nation powerful were. those when women
held the reins Of power; not merely as
puppets. but as controlling queens.
HOW WOMEN RULE.
The forty-fve years IN which Eliza
beth occupied the throne, were those
which placed England in the front rank
amongst nations and gave 10 Britain
MIA the rule Of the seas, and it was queen
Bess who did IL and not her ministers.
Sho stamped her character upon her
time; her will repulsed the great Armada;
filled the sails Of Drake az he circied
the world. and inspired Raleigh TO bind
O. now continent TO her throne; her ge-
Mus made Shakespeare possible and in
spired the wisdom OF Bacon. Yet, II has
fever occurred 10 any one to tnink OF
this great queen as battling Tor %
mans Rights"
QUFEN ANNE.
The twelve years in which Queen Anne
reigncd was the renaissance or EnBllsh
literature, and under her Marlborough
fought and Walpole thought.
VICTORIA.
Victoria ascendcd the throne while sti1
I'm her teens, and al a time when the
court Of ST. James was the most cor
ruut IN Europe. In ten years, 1t was so
pure the world could not believe a Guelph
sat on the throne For more than haii
a century the crown has graccd her orow'
and now, as Empress queen, she sWays
a monarchy greater than that or the
Caesars. and people who guide the con-
servative thought Of the world.
MUST NOT CONTROL HEn OWN PROPERTY.
Despite III this. we are told that
woman should not be ranked amidst the
governing classes. that she should not.
as a married woman, have control OF
her OWN property; should not be phy-
s.cian. a lawyer, or anything which re,
quires bfaia. such work IL is said, VIII
unsex her'
She may stand by the wash-tub; slave
in the kitchen: stitch at her sewing; pine
bobfrd a counter, or she may marry,
and turn her property. II she has any,
over 10 her husband. 10 waste OF 10
suuander and leave Ter and her children
neuniloss. All these duties are pure
womanly." she shares them with the
slave: they mark the primitive DarDar-
ism of her race. IL is only when she
becomes the thinking rival of man that
man finds her work antag0nizcs the CIV
STANDARD OF her sex.
ANY PERSON MAY PRACTICE IL COURT APPEALs.
In this connection we may mention
that the Court Of Appeals i'm the state,
has Just held that woman cannot prac-
tice law In Virginia. The Code permits
"arv person" TO practice who the Cor
uoratiou Court may certify TO be OF hon
est demcauOr, twenty-ono years OF age,
and who can stand the required eNamina-
ton before two judges. Women are Ger
tainlv persons" almost any woman can
get the certificate Of honest demeanor.
some Of them are over twenty-one' ana
there arc few who. with PREPARATION
cannot stard the prescribed examination.
usAoEs MADE BY MEN.
They are denied the right to practice
SOLELY because against the customs OF
orr race-the usages which men have
made. Such reasoning belongs to the past
end its conclusions are not abreast with
Against such deductions this column
makes war. not because women desire TO
nractice Law. but because the same theO-
~ and the same reasoning viii close the
door 10 woman wherever she seeks more
Intellectual work and wider scope for
usefulness.
We saw let them do all they can. things
they cannot do, they will not ana II
they do lot do them, no harm VIII be
done: society will still be safe, and the
men not put IN jeopardy.
sr4RrED LATE IN LYNCHBURG.
Society Slow at First But Fast Enough To-