The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-24
LAWS and COURTS
Decisions and Inter
pretations That Are
Of Interest.
McKELWAY'S TALK,
Ladies, Be Merciful to Men,
They're Doing the Best
They Can.

The woman's law class Of the New
York University recently listened to an
address by st. Clair McKelway, which
they applauded in spots and smiled at
in other spots. Here are some of the
lecturers points at which the young
women did not smile:
cit is not always fit or just that wo-
men should compete with men. A great
civil engineer lately told me his daugh-
ter-a very capable painter, married to
a man who can be called q great painter
has not taken up the brush since her
marriage because she wished neither
to compete with her husband nor to be
compared with him. Complement. not
competition; comradship, and not oon-
test was in her thought and purpose.
This may be too fine for some, but 1t
struck me as very fine,
"At present, at least, law does not
need women so much as some women
need a knowledge of law. The legal
profession lacks neither variety nor
ability nor numbers though it be re-
cruited only, or mainly, from men.
Those women who need knowledge
of law need it more for the precision OF
their own intelligence for the cultiva-
ton Of straight thinking, for the learn
ing of an interesting science, and Tor
the light which it throws upon life In
little, and upon life at large, than they
need it for the competitive practice OF
courts
In short, ladies', be merciful to men.
They are doing the best they can They
carry the white mans burden of suf-
frage and do not ask your assistance.
They let you be the power behind the
voter, greater than the voter himself.
They have permitted you to will all you
have, to keep all you have, to hold on
to all you make and to sell it or mort
gage it without any such equivalent to
them as dover is to you.
They would not have you their
equals-they would have you their SUI
periors They would even be willing to
certify that they performed their bust
ness transactions separate and apart
from the coercion of their wives, il that
fiction would add lustre to the glory
of your fame. Do not be spiteful toward
them. Do not be vindictive toward them
Il mean, of course in your public adj
dresses, in your papers and speeches.
DO not demand testamentary rights
to half their property. So manage them
in life that you can get the whole of
it without their having to die to LET you
have any. Make life your partner, in
stead Of death your right bower"
There are doubtless many women
who can testify to severe physical suf-
fering from the heavy handshaking Of
men with strong wrists Those who
wear rings that can be pressed into the
sensitive flesh between the fingers have
tales to tell of exquisite anguish caused
in this way. A much more serious in
stance appears in a suit at law in a
Philadelphia court, the declaration in
which recities that:
H. n a.
great force and violence, caught hold
Of both hands, and said Edith Boone,
plaintiff, with his hands, and for a
long space of time pressed squeezed
and mashed both hands of her, the
said plaintiff, whereby, and in conse-
quence whereof. the said plaintiffs
right and left hands We're confused,
bruised, mashed and crushed, and Sc
riously, grievously and permanently
injured, so that the same have been
of no use to her. and that, as a con-
sequence thereof, she, the said Edith
Boone, plaintiff is advised and be-
lieVes that her right hand viii have
to be amputated, and her left hand
so injured, MANNED, confused and
wounded that the same will never be
OF any use to her; and that said in
juries were so inflicted upon her, the
said Edith Boone, plaintiff, by him,
the said Frederick r. Farrow. defend
ant, purposely, Intentionally, viciously
and wickedly. and with the intent and
purpose of hurting and injuEing her,
the said Edith Boone, plaintiff.
The singular feature in the case is
that, Notwithstanding the plaintiff's
statement in her declaration there does
not appear to have been any malice in
the case. Miss Boone declared that
she had known the defendant for about
eight months before the affair, and
he had always seemed to be "a nice
fellow" He took her hands in a laugh
ing manner. For himself he SAYS:
We were always good friends, and ]
was sort of slzylarking with her one
day when the affair occurred. We We're
in fun at the time, and she only COM
planned Of a slight soreness in her wrist
afterward. I put some liniment on It.
NY case is in the hands Of a lawyer.
and ] cannot say what my defence viii
be.
In refusing to grant a divorce to a
Kansas man the other day. the judge
said. There IS no statutory evidence
here. This man married a divorced
woman when she was twenty years
old and lived with her until she is
thirty. He wants to beat her children
around with a stick She called him a
devil and an old fool and from his
own testimony the woman seems to
have been about right"
The legal right Of labor unions to
order strikes for the purpose OF enfOrc-
ing their demands Is called in question