Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-06-18
WOMEN'S CHANCES.
VHAT THEY ARE IN THE FIELDS OF
LAW AND JOURNALISM.

High Authov,1les Discuss These Subjects.
Women Lawyers viii he In Demand In
the Near Future-A Newspaper Woman
writes About Her Chosen Work.
Mrs. Cornelia X Hood LII. b.. one OF
the founders of the Women's Legal Educa-
ton society and a lecturer on law believes
that women can succeed In the legal pro-
fession She says; II think the time Is
coming when a knowledge OF the law will
be considered an essential part OF the edu-
cation of both men and women, the latter
none the less than the former. In the last
few years the legislatures In most of the
states have very considerably augmented
women's civil rights and are continuing
TO do so. To understand and reap the
benefit of her new position In the eyes OF
the law woman must have some legal
knowledge When she acquires the right
10 take "a part In the affairs of government
through her vote she will be at great
disadvantage If she does not know some
thing of legal principles i believe that
women lawyers will be In demand In the
near future, and therefore think that the
law is good profession for bright women.
It Is no more difficult than other profes.
sions for women whose reasoning powers
are good and is just as interesting when
once entered. The woman practitioner
need not go into the courts unless she de.
sires to. A great many lawyers have lu
crative Office practices, and a clever woman
might do great deal of business In man
aging estates for women and advising
them on matters of law. do not believe,
however, that women need have any trepi-
dation about practicing In the courts. A
few who have already attempted It have
been remarkably successful. They have
received the closest attention from juries,
and the judges have In most cases treated
them In all respect like their masculine
fellow lawyers. The public is rapidly be-
coming accustomed to women lawyers. 1t Is
beginning TO appreciate the fact that they
are careful, conscientious and capable.
Margherita Arlina Hamm, the first
woman war correspondent and editor of
the woman's department of The Mail and
Express, New York, compares women and
men in journalism and says; 1.-THE ele
ment OF sex enters much less into journal
ism than is popularity supposed Newspa
per life is intense and earnest There Is
no room for shams or false pretenses.
People are measured according TO their
merits. and the measure Is taken very
swiftly There are many points Of interest
in the matter, the most important being
that women have succeeded In every branch
Of journalism. from the mere setting of
the type TO the absolute control OF great
publication. The work accomplished by
men and women Is In the ratio of their
physical strength This has been figured
at being about three To two and represents
the literary output OF a man and OF
woman. In other words a woman does 66
per cent Of what u man does This applies
merely TO quantity. When IL comes to
quality women are slightly ahead OF men
Men, as a class are apt TO employ
slang colloquialisms, technical phrases or
business language. Women on the other
hand seldom fall into these errors, but sin
ON the side OF brilliant rhetoric and SO
called fine writing They have IA natural
inclination toward qualifying things they
like with pretty words. A gown Is always
elegant or lovely a girl pretty or
charming a book delightful or 'splen
did AS between the two courses the
woman's Is less objectionable
Men and women journalists are equani
nous. and both endure fatigue, disap.
pointment, rebuffs and even abuse with
great self control Both show strong
esprit du corps for their papers and en-
ployers. Sex displays itself chiefly In their
tastes. Few newspaper women care to
report fights, accidents or other facts in
volving shame, suffering or disgrace
Men on the other hand. have natural
aversion TO spending much time upon de
tails Men are quicker 10 perceive news
and to secure 1t. Women are more faith.
full and painstaking The practice known
as taking is not uncommon with news
paper men, but IL very rare with newspa-
per women. Neither Is ambitious In the
higher sense of the word Zach looks for
ward to some better or easier position, but
very few erect goal toward which they
direct their career. In the great cities of
the north both earn good living, and, If
so inclined. can maintain q good social
position
I'm the smaller towns and cities, espe-
cially In the south and southwest, the
wages paid are pitiful in their smallness
The feeling between the two sexes Is very
amicable. Each recognizes where the other
can do the better work. The great In
crease In newspaper women Is due, not to
any competition between tne men ana
women, but to the fact that the develop
ment of the modern newspaper now neoes
states the gathering Of news where women
are better qualified to act than men. This
kind Of news includes the description OF
social events, Interviews with distinguish
ed women, fashions, women clubs. WON
ems colleges, women's industries and
work in literature, music and
art "-Demorest's Magazine.