The sun., 1901-06-30
THE CAUSE OF WOMAN.
WOMEN NOr WANTED IN THE HYN-
NEAPOLIs CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

NEAfOLIS ahH1 DRN W. W. .-@~~.'
Mrs. Ps,su,ure. q Grain Dealer. Not Allowed
4. Join ISAA Commercial Body-OtheR
r,cAniosl OrGanisations which Exclude
women Lyman Abbotts Method Of Seek
ing Mental Relaxation OcCasionaiiy.
The influences Of the recent national suffra 20
convention In Minnea polls did not soften
the stony hearts Of the msmbers who oom-
nose It's Chamber Of Commerce. They have
lust rejected the application for membership
NJ Mrs s. NJ Passmore. . prominent grain
merchant Of that ely For many years the
commission firm consisted Of her husband
and brother and herself Both OF them
died. and, as IL was a profitable business which
.be understood perfectly. she saw no reason
for giving Il up. She felt keenly the dis
advantage Of not belonging to the Board OF
Trnde and at last took courage and made
nor application, stating definitely that she
dil not propose to 60 upon the trading moor.
hut simply desired a membership to protect
her arm In the event OF contingencies. II was
Ldorsed BY the President Of the board. Alr.
Iohn washburn. and It's former President.
Mr. c. NJ Harrin gton. Four Of the directors
voted In favor and eight against her election.
The latter now are proposing to amend tho
rules a. as positively to debar women from
membership. The opposing members ex-
mr. sspd the highest regard for the lady Per-
sonally, but said they could not afford to
establish precedent that phrase which
always stands as bar to progress. oi
course II Is pleasant for Mrs. Passmore to
know that they consider her such very nice
woman. but how IL that going to compensate
her for the disadvantage OF not having q
membership on the Board Of Trade? IL
she should go out Of the grain business on
account of the high opinion entertained for
her by the Chamber OF Commerce would II
contribute to her maintenance
This department has called attention many
times to the fact that women never have
taken and never can take one forward step
IN any direction except by consent OF men.
Everywhere the latter have entered In and
taken possession and women must come as
sur plants for favors. short time ago the
Law Academy tor Bar Association OF Phila-
delphia refused admission TO Mrs. Nj. D.
Klinselsmith. highly educated woman. grad
uate of the law department OF tho Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania and now law librarian
of the university Her sex was the sole OBJ
lection She was rejected but she had some
strong supporters Nj George 4 Nitzche. who
nominated her declared that he would have
women admitted to the academy II II TOOK
ten years At the next meeting resolution
to so amend the constitution as to limit the
membership to males" brought on violent
controversy and this same body that had
lust rejected a woman who fulfilled every
requirement defeated the resolution by
vote OF % 10 I6 At the very time this discus
sion was taking place, Miss Estelle '. Pease
was elected n member Of the Chicago Bar
Association BY unanimous vote, And yet
before women could get the right even 10
practise law In Illinois it required long
and bitter fight and an act Of the legislature
Miss Eta II. Maddox has recently been
graduated from the Baltimore Law School
with an unexcelled record and yet she must
60 outside OF her Stute to follow her profess
sion because the statute OF Maryland does
not permit a woman TO practise law. But
the Baltimore Sun says
It has been unchang ged simply because few persons
have realized how utterly out OF date II is and how
entirely inconslsn, with the progress which we have
made In other directions. When the Legislature
meets next winter the present provision should oe
stricken out and another passed. giving women tho
nigh, Of admission To the bar The world owes every
woman as well every man living and no civilized
State AFFORD TO discriminate in regard to the night
V work against class OF citizens and In favor OF
another.
These examples could be multiplied by
hundreds, showing, first. as we have said.
that every progressive step made by woman
must be by permission OF man second. that
the minority Of men at first are opposed.
no mntter what may be the nature OF the
innovation. but that there are always some
men to fight the battle for her and third
i- apcaDt
II with good grace and frequently become
her champions in the next contest In al
lowing women to practise law Pennsylvania
Is ahead of Maryland yet in admitting them
70 the privileges of the Bar Association.
Chicago has set the example 10 Philadsl-
mia But the Chicago Board OF Trade re-
fuses to admit qualified woman to mem-
bership Until thi, very month the Chicago
Uomno pathic Medical College has barn the
only one in the entire West TO exclude women.
but now they are u enter on exactly the
OF tine till women will have seats on Chi
oago's Board Of Trade The Minneapolis
Chamber Commerce may pass Just as
many resolutions as those eight men who
rejected Mrs PasSmore CuooS" TO vote for,
but they can n more prevent women from
eventually becoming mcmDers than they
can check the water from flowing over their
/ alls or stop up tho s)hrcAoI the MISSISSIPPI
Il used to be said Of Horace Greeley that
he was able 20 do the prod gIoUs amount OF
editorial work for which he Was noted because
OF the relaxation ne found In plying the axe
IN the woods Of hlI Chqpr19ua farm Glad
stone, IL j. ella nod. relieved he tremendous
mental tension by Choppng down an oc-
caS,onul tree on h,s HaWarien estate And
So that other great and wse man. Lyman
Abbott, having no forest handy, loo-eIs
up hrs terrific intellectual strain at intervals
by taking an axe and gong for woman SUI
frlga He ha~ lust had one ~ these inter-
aI- - n al 80 - . fftNa