Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-03

Mrs. Emma Reba Bailey.
Sans vineyard" The speaker declared
that the employees in the division were
proud to have Mrs Bailey in their midst
IAN ever present Indictment to that striv-
ing for achievement which should be the
moving principle of our endeavor; the one
woman in the beautiful capital of the great
est republic on earth who has received
from one Of our leading institutions one
of its greatest academic honors-the degree
of doctor of civil law-and that in the face
OF "a hostile) public prejudice.
Mrs. Bailey made brief response to the
address, thanking her associates for their
expressions of good will
Mrs. Bailey Makes Statement.
With reference to the opposition made
by members of the class to the comforting
of the degree of doctor upon her, Mrs. Bal
ley today gave The Star the following
statement:
For a week / have been placed by my
classmates prominently before the people
of the United States, or at least before
those who could be. reached in that time
by the wave of a just and universal in
dignation and desire to see right done
the lone woman who had successfully strug-
gled for six years to secure legal educa-
ton. l was born in Alabama during the
year Immediately preceding the civil war
of distinguished and wealthy parents 1
am relative of Commodore Stockton Dan
lei S. Dickinson and Thaddeus Stevens
through my mother and related to Presi-
dent John Adams through my father.
Il was raised after that crucial time in
our country's history, yet / was never i'm
bued with the idea that l ever would have
to earn my living, but was taught every
| thing that would adorn a happy woman
hood-such womanhood which notably in
my own loved southland obtains; to be
the embodiment of truth in the relations
of life, as daughter. sister, wife and
mother, and thus to discharge my obliga-
ton to my country's laws we'll as fulfill
the Christian law.
I'm the RAISING years the varied expert
enceS and duties thus devolving upon me
were dealt with to the best of my ability;
after having been prepared in the aca-
demic school and colleges of my native
state. but as time passed new duties arose,
and awaited myself of each opportunity
to acquire the knowledge to discharge
them. Some fifteen years since coming
to Washington with my late husband Ed
wsrd Bailey of South Carolina, 1 found
that to properly educate our children 1t
was necessary for me to work. and thus,
after three successful examinations 1 en-
tered the Interior Department, with the
ultimate purpose of retirement when they
were established in life, but before this
desired result was obtained my husbands
health failed and 1 looked around to see
how l could be the bread winner for our
family.
Chooses Profession of Law.
'Emanating from lawyers, 1 naturally
thought the profession a means Of secur-
ing preferment here or of pursuing it in
the west. Thus with and by my husbands
consent entered on the course of law
Mrs Ellen Spencer Mussey at the be-
ginning of President Cleveland's admins
tration endeavored to make up a special
class to have, as I understood, its instruc-
ton from some law school here. l failed to
enter the class then, but when in 1897 she
formed her woman's law class which after
ward developed into the Washington Col
lege Of Law, l entered and successfully
prosecuted four years course, ending
with my securing the first diplomas ever
given by the college and the degrees of
LII. B. and LIN, the last having been in
stituted through the direction of Judge
Robinson of the Catholic University, be-
cause of my insstence on having the OPP
portunity to pursue 1t.
During this time my husband having
died and there being no immediate neces-
sity for going west to grow up with the
country, l specially prepared myself for
the bar examination under the instruction
of thorough teachers, and thus was enabled
to pass a very credtable examination, be-
ing admitted to practice more than two
years since.
sui General Moseley, l applied to the Co
lumbar University for the degree Of doc
tor of civil law, as SO many notable ladies
had previously done. l was more successful
than the former applicants, and in October,
1901 l entered on my studies, which culmi-
mated, after my having honorably and
creditably pursued most difficult course,
in the comforting of that degree upon me
the first woman in the United States to be
SO honored.
my relations in the university have been
most pleasant, yet there was a spirit of
rivalry for the year l entered the per-
centage maintained was raised. 1 entered
with Zest and interest in all the many
interests of my loved alma mater. l be-
came a charter member of the athletic as
ISOLATION a member of the debating society,
oratory class and Junior congress of the
United States, where / had the felicity OF
speaking on my own Womans Suffrage
bill. In our class organisation was unani,
mously elected vice president, and served
during the school year, and thus in all my
career had a happy experience
Refers to Opposition.
"As to the effusions appearing in the
cfty's papers while there were gentlemen
who opposed women this year, yet by those
most interested 1 have been told they were
credited with saying what they did not
| It was certainly a foolish proceeding to
| try to dictate the policy of a large institu-
| ton of learning, such as Columbian. but
with the years will come more liberal views
and dignity. Several of the members of
| the class have spoken to me of their part
| in the fight against Emma Reba Bailey,
! and 1 ean in view of my victory, condone
4 their unwise action.
.As the president of the university, the
] faculty and executive committee have ex-
pressed in words. that my whole school
| work. lectures, conferences, examinations
| (Roman law, especially included. and pa
pers were creditable and my thesis very
| able paper I can rest content on their
| lust Judgment. AIS well that ends we'll
s.During my career have owned three
newspapers, daily. a weekly and tri-
weekly. and have written Tor them Tor
] years"