The age-herald., 1897-08-10
TECHNICS FROM
 CURRENT TOPICS

The leuter received by Juuge J. J. BdHhS
 a few days ago from an ambitious girl,
 asking if women may be admitted to
 practice in the courts of Alabama, is the l entering wedge which, sooner or later will cleave in twain all prejudice against
 the mental progress of women in the l state. It is a great waste of time to dis 1 cuss the fitness of women for the profes- sions of law or medicine. Many wo-
 man is more eminenGy adapted for either
 honorable calling than many a man who l inveighs against the "audscfty'' of wo-
 men who have aedesire to be admitted to
 the practice of law or medicine. If wo-
 man has a genius for any especial busl- ness or profession, she will be very apt
 to find an entrance into it, and, once hav- 1 ing found it, her ability and aptitude will
 convince all. doubtless, of her right to be 1 there.
 Genius is sexless; this proposition is mo
 longer debated by the scholars and think
 CTS of today, whose opinions count for
 anything. Many woman by the claims of inheritance, by the right of instinct, | has far more reason to be a successful
 lawyer, or physician than a large pro- | portion of men who have chosen these l professions for their life work.
 1 Large numbers of women have of ne- | cessity, according to the laws of heredity | inherited the genius of their fathers, or | grandfathers perhaps this genius is l awakened because subject to customs | and opinions which have limited the field | of feminine endeavor. These same richly l endowed woman have oftimes transmit
 ted to their sons mental qualities which various walks of life.
 There are many silent orators whose
 eloquenee might have awakened human | ity; many glorious preacher whose only i sermons are preached in the solemn lone | ly hours of the night; many a great 1 physician who only binds the little wounds of childhood, and many banker | who merely counts the small coins of | daily household needs, because, in wo- l mems hearts and women's brains there | oftimes lies dormant the same power with which men have stirred the universe
 and helped their fellowmen. The lives of
 such woman have not always been fail ures, because they were out of harmony | with the Limitations of their surround | ings. The intellectual and moral force which they inherited, gave them strength ! to press forward even in the -humblsst | path. Their lives have been like songs | in the night time," making melody and | sweetness for many who sit in the
 shadow.
 | It is to be hoped that the next session | of the legislature will make it possible l for women to practice in the courts of the state. "what woman can do, she | has right to do," is an axiom of to- | days civilization. Women may be de- l pended upon to improve the present | standard of the practice of law when | they are allowed to enter the courts. They will be free from the many miser-
 able and petty tricks which have gone | far towards bringing the noble profes- sion of law into disrepute and disregard, among the masses. Certainly they will
 do their full duty towards the conviction
 of the criminal, while they will add their | influence to that of honest, honorable l men, for the speedy, prompt execution of
 the state, and national laws. The in | fiuence of a true, noble woman is always
 for good, whether she stays at home, | goes to church, enjoys society, practices | law or medicine, or does any other thing
 within the limit of taste and capacity | Open the courts of the state to the wo-
 men of Alabama. The time has long | passed when we can set the stakes Of
 progress according to our own individual l opinions.
 The residents of the South Highlands | are especially anxious to have the at
 tention of the health officers called to
 the lack of the proper cleaning of cer-
 tain portions of that popular section:
 also to the proving of animals of all | kinds and conditions, in all parts of the l Highlands.
 The people are very desirous of assist l ing the municipal and health authori- | ties in their fight against smallpox, or any other infectious disease, They | therefore wish to bring to their atten- | ton the need of better and more thor l ough sanitary measures for the South | Highlands. BALL. | True Philosopher