The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-06-10
MARYLAND COURTS CLOSED TO
 WOMEN LAWYERS.

WOMEN LAWYERS.
 Among the graduates of the Balti-
 more law school who received their
 diplomas last night was one who can
 not practice in this state, although
 standing high in the class, for intelli- gence, industry and mastery of the
 theory and spirit of the law, It is not
 any phyiscal infirmty or unfitness or
 any lack of personal qualification that
 prevents this graduate from becoming
 a practicing attorney and counselor at
 of hearing, speech or sight to handicap
 this asDirant, no bodily weakness to
 prohibit active attention to business in
 or out of court. But while this unfor-
 tunate individual possesses bright
 brain, stood among the highest in the
 class and could probably do as well at
 the bar as any of the young men who are turned out by our colleges and uni
 versailles, there is one grave indictment
 against this graduate which in the eye
 of the laws of Maryland more than
 counterbalance all the good qualities
 mentioned and that is that nature
 made this young person member ot
 the female sex. The only crime Of Miss Etta H. Maddox is that she is a wom-
 an, and in Maryland the doors Of the
 courts have not yet been opened to
 women as practitioners of law. They
 can practice medicine in this state, and kill or cure according to the most ap
 proved methods of regular male prac- titioners, and they can enter almost ev- cry other field of endeavor, but when
 they ask to assist justice they are sternly pointed to the code and told that ladies are not admitted. The pro
 visions of the Maryland Code on the subject are survivals of a period when woman, though lawgiver, as now, In 1 her own house, did not aspire to legal
 fame and profit The old regulations have fingered on till the beginning of ] this century, probably rather because there has been no special demand Tor their repeal than because of any deter mined opposition. If a proposition for their repeal should come before the next legislature, as we trust 1t may, 1t does not seem likely that 1t would be opposed by any considerable portion of the bar or by any member of the jul dietary. Opposition could be based only on fear of competition, and there are few men who would be willing to con fess themselves afraid to meet femin- inc competition in the courts. It is true wei have a great many attorneys at law already, but that is not equiv alent to saying that we have too many lawyers, the terms not being by any means equivalent. The general moral tendency of admitting women to the bar would probably be wholesome. There would be fewer "shyters' maonS the women practitioners and they would be likely to exercise good in- fuence both in the actual trial of eases and in upholding the dignity and fair name of the profession. If the lawyer is regarded by many thoughtless and prejudiced persons as tricky and un- trustworthy a licensed soldier of for tune. ready for consideration to make the worse appear the peter cause, pre- pared without regard to principle or precedent to defnd to-day what he de- nounced yesterday, it Is the male sex which is responsible for these misap- prehensions, as well as for cases of ac- tual offense. Nowadays women, wheth- CT because men have become more l worthless than formerly or more selfish l and less matrimonial, are compelled in ! increasing numbers to make their own living In the vast majority of cases 1 it is not a question of choice, but of | necessity. If they could do as they | pleased they would probably prefer to do as their grandmothers dtd--contne | their efforts to the home circle. But | conditions and times have changed and | women have been forced to change l with them in the matter of work So | now they are admitted almost every where to whatever they can turn their | hands or minds, and the world is giv- ing them a cordial welcome and hearty godspeed Maryland Is one of the few states which lags behind in re- spect to women lawyers, and it Is time she should catch up with the process sion The language of the code with | reference to admissions to the bar in- cludes only "male citizens" of Mary land. and probably, as we have said, has been unchanged simply because few persons have realized how utterly out of date it is and how entirely in | with the progress which we have made in other directions. When the Maryland legislature meets next winter the present provision should be stricken out and another passed giv- ing women the right of admission to the bar. The world owes evry woman, as well as every man al lying, and no state can afford to discrimi- nate in regard to the right to work against one class of citizens and in fla vor of another.--Baltimroe Sun