The herald., 1896-07-10

big pile of correspondence removed from
her lap, and In response to request for
a brief sketch of her life, said:
AN EARLY INSPIRATION.
II was plunged into public life almost
without my own volition. My mother.
Adeline CouZinS, was the first woman In
the early years of the war to battle for
the admission of women to public life.
Her efforts were eventually successful
when Mr.. Spinner, Mr. Bates. the at
torney-general in Lincoln's S administra-
ton, and Mr.. Chase were instrumental
in obtaining admission for women to the
treasury department. In 1870 my mother
was an applicant for the position of post.
mistress of St.Louis. and / went with her
to obtain Mr.. Bates signature to her
position. Mr.. Bates suddenly turned to
me and said: And what are you going
to do with your life, young woman"
/ was so taken aback that did not an
swer, but he supplied an inspiration for
me by giving me copy of Hypatia, the
story of whose life made the profound
est impression upon me. The next step
ping-stone was the advice of Judge
Krum of St, Louis that l should study
law Such an idea as ever being admit
ted to the bar seemed then to me i'm
possible. unattainable, but the judge
sent me a volume of Blackstone and l be g.
came SO interested that determined to
of the Washington University at ST.
Louis. ] was the first woman ever ad-
mitted within a law school in the United
States, and the first to graduate, which
| did two years later, in 1872. 1t was in
deed an advanced step for the old con-
servative state Of Missouri ! gradual ted
third out of a class of twelve
NOT ONE OF THE STORMY PETRELS IS
mo, | have never practiced in the
a a a lNa a VnidpG n f
lively that sort of public appearance.
though l see no reason against it for
women who do not naturally shrink
from it, But l have often been EN-
ployed as counsellor, and in some i'm
portant cases. My legal acumen has
been tatterngly complimented and
modestly believe that have the ability
of grasping the cruX of case. i
once earned a $1,000 fee Although /
have a reputation for being a good
fighter, it has always been for prin-
cipals and not for the sake of fighting
l am not one of the stormy petrels.''
HER MAIDEN SPEECH.
1T was while l was still a law student
that / made my maiden speech. Susan
Anthony. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy
Stone and Lucretia Mott We're then the
leaders of the suffrage movement, of
which as yet knew little. But my rep
utation as the first woman to gain rec
ognition in the law schools had gone
forth, and | was requested to make an
address in the winter of 1871 on the oc-
casion of petition for womans suffrage
being presented to the senate of the Mis-
souri, legislature. Both houses adjourn
ed and there was a great audience
l was very nervous. but Lieutenant
Governor Stanard was very kind and
think l got on all right
VIRGINIA MINORS SUIT
1T was late in the '70s that Virginia
Minor began suit against the registrar
of st. Louis for refusing to accept her
registration under the fourteenth amend
ment. The case was carried to the su-
preme court and one of the most curious
decisions on record in history was given
The court-a Republican judiciary-held
that the constitution of the United States
does not confer the right of suffrage
upon any one; that it has no voters of
its own creation, and that all of its
officers are elected directly or Indirectly
by the state votes; and yet short time
before in the celebrated slaughterhouse
cases of Louisiana the same court had
said that the negro was entitled to vote
in every state of the union by reason of
the United states amendment The
court, however. did admit that women
were persons ] was not actively en-
gagged in suffrage work till about '76."
AS UNITED STATES MARSHAL
My father was United States marshal