The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-01-30
.LE EGISLATIVE
KINDERGARTEN.
Members Hear Everybody
Talk for and Against
Proposed Bills.
MISS PHILBRo0K AS PoRTIA
Woman's Rights With the Usual
Logical Gaps-Pieturesque,
If Not Convincing.
Gas at a Dollar as Well as Gratui-
tous-fhe Standard Loaf Issue
Ripara an Lands.
u ~ - ( 4. W.

TRENTON, Jan. 81, 1S9o.-IhlS Leg S.a-
ture has developed 3 penchant for work
which has simply astounded old timers.
The work. however. is not the usual de-
batting and passing bills which has char-
aeterized most Legislatures. but consists
of sitting IN committees and listening to
any one who wants to talk on any b Il
before either House. Hearings have
come to be d craze, a fad or fashion,
or whatever you want 10 call them.
It is the way they do things in AL
bany.
From two until six o'clock Monday
afternoon there were hearings on, and
they began before most of the weary
legislators were up yesterday morning
and went on increasing until at one
time there were nine going en- simuita-
neously. About three o'clock a young
man burst in upon the crowd in the
corridor dancing about and gesticulating
wildly in the exubeTance of his joy.
Whats the matter, are you crazy?"
exclaimed a friend.
NO" replied the young man, still in
glee. 81 have found room where there
is not a hearing going on"
The most nobel and interesting of the
hearings was that which the Judiciary
Committee gave to the friends of Bir.
brakes measure to allow women to
practice law.
Some time ago Miss Mary Philbrook,
who lives on Jersey City Heights, ap-
piled for admission to The bar. She had
served the four years clerkship required
by law in the Office of Minturn & Gaede
of Hoboken. She was refused admission
by the Court and advised to go to the
Legislature and seek relief. This she did
and found champion in Brother Drake
of Jersey City, who introduced the b.n.
Miss Philbrook was at hand supported
by a number of ladies, among them be-
ing Miss Jacobs and Miss Eva P. Davies,
teachers in No II School of Jersey City.
AS they sat around the committee room.
no one not acquainted with their mission
would have taken them for advanced
women. They were all dressed in the
prevailing fashion, particularly the
sleeves, and had donned that which
became them most and made them look
their prettiest.
In the absence of Mr.. Drake. Mr.. Nutz-
horn ehampioned their cause and intro
duced the ladies to the committee.
SAD FALLACIES.
Mrs. Florence Howe Hall of Piainfield
was the first speaker. Women come into
court often enough, she began. ito
have women there 10 represent her; to
women can with a wonen's wit and
woman's ingenuity. Women should have
an advocate of their own sex, since
they must obey the laws they have no
voice in making We can only come to
the Legislature as suppliants and modern
abolished.
'In Plainfeld, where I come from. we
have a school where we study the laws
and customs of the State. When we
want to know anything about the leWs
brook. We used to have among US q
young lady who had studied law. but
she has left to get married, showing
that the study of law is 10 bar, to rTatri-
nony, as many have claimed
Mrs. Hall then spoke of the progress
women had made il medicine and de-
clared that il that profession they had
edualled the men.
i'Excelled them broke in Mr.. storrs:
BEG your pardon said Mrs. Hall.
not exactly understanding what Mr..
Storrs said.
Tie young man from Orange looked
sick as he undertook to explain his
compliment. Mrs. Hall finally saw what
| he was trying to get at and thanked
him.
Continuing, she said that few women
married and were supported by their
husbands. But in the Eastern States,
where there were more women than men.
women found It necessary to co FOR them
selves 1t often happens that married
women have to support themselves and
their families. Their husbands become
i'll, lose their positions or even go to
prison.
Every time you shut the door to
honorable callings,'' continued Mrs. Hall,
feelingly, "and none is more honorable
than that Of the law, you drive them
into dishonorable calling and into that
large army of degraded woIaen which
disgraces our large cities"
She then spoke Of the alleged manner
in which men had pounced down upon
ali Women's efforts to take part in the
affairs of life and said that when they
first began to visit prisons taere was a
great outcry against it and men declared
that prisons were no place for women,
and vet from that sprang prison reform,
which has tsano SO ra21ch good
She referred ito Miss FI9iIbrool as a
v6i,ng laf74y Of high irte]lireqoe. who had
/ sre,yt fys wars in the st7,Sv Of the law
ag3S Ia whose fitness and character three
bi,9f5wed Of tna Ia1di2,e LAWYERS in the
sFafa bsR testisies.
, 5t y.oSil maze excellent lawyers
dpfldrG6.