The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-26

" III AGG1 j NO 0nnhr
mere IS many 4 woman grinding her
youth away In teaching for a pittance and
mentally staGnating through contact with
only immature minds. or is \ mer. oh
scure underling in some mans of6ce-a
cog In some great stem-khat possesses
regal talent Of q high order and is m:ser-
have no outlet.
"A girl inherits her fathers eyes. fea.
lures and coloring, why not also his mental
complexion Why should not the daughter
OF ieSai ancestors inherit n judicial tenn
permanent: II Is not rarer among women
,nan among men. only Il man exercises
ms judgment by constant use; a voman's
ruStS with disuse.
If we look at the number NJ women who
must maintain themselves through life. you
VIII realize that instead of there being
only about 5000 Women lawyers in the
lnlted States, there ought 10 be ten times
that number. The census shows that We
nave q million more women than men. as
polygamy IS both illegal and unethical. this
means that one million women viii have
to look to themselves for their life hapni-
ness and 1ife-work. Few inherit fortunes,
but many are the daughters of professional
men. have had a good education and are
intellectual in Their tastes. These women
make up the van of the woman movement
for votes. Bafour uttered a great truth
in his sneer that if there were husbands
enough to go around in England, so that
every suffragette would be supplied, the
Suffrage Movement would be stripped OF
much of It's strength. But if you look 1T
\ cS AhCs diN, ~ hol IS bAts ouehh
to be, YOU see these women destined TO cell
bacy have n splendid opportunity of throw
ing all their energy and force into a pro-
feSsion such as the law: where they Will
command rather than serve. where they
may receive adequate remuneration even
where they may reach renoWn-the posi-
bilities are infinite. Many a single man
has boosted that he would we'd the law
alone If it is his wife why can't 1t ne
her husband. Those of US who have let
cur hearts lead US have to make tremend-
$40 - for-in AL a p ttinDc thai tho 10
woman will be exempt from. IheorlZe
as you may. a woman cannot nurse Il sex
child at night and practice law by day: !
know because | tried it. In any married
woman's professional life. there must come
a hiatus, when she bears and rears her
children. Naturally if we are honest wltp
ourselves. we regret our professlonal inca
pacity. IN the future it will be different.
when it will not be the but
the looked -for-thing for both husband ana
wife to work. Then she may carve her
run her shop or try her cases, Just as
he does. and both go home at night TO
the one home and the one family. be
cause of her contributing to the income
she can obtain the best care-takers for
her children, but l don't think we have
evolved TO that yet"
"For those who do not let marriage anu
maternity interrupt what is the best re-
Enumeration they can hope for IN the law,
and is it not true that women are Always
paid less than mel!
"a little. yes, but very little, and !
mnst saw in many instances l know they
have been paid as we'll. The highest In
come l ever knew a woman lawyer TO
make was 81, 800. $4,000 clear OF ONCE eA-
penses. That is rare, the average mt mn.
clears about $500 per year, but then tiere
are a number of men. in this profession
who do not make half that sum- ana nave
been at it a life time, rno+
els q woman lawyer handicapped ny ho'
having the franchiSe!'
eyes. more so than a woman in any otner
profession. Every man holding an eiec.lVe
office fears and respects q voter. Ahd
when women get the vote. ana tliat Is q
certainty. no Judge will dare sneer as one
did lately at a woman's argument ana re,
mind her that the chatter or a PINK yea
was out of order in q court room. A "o-
man will then use political afnilatlohs 70
increase her practice as men DO.
Il think too. women are hanpered o!
not being allowed in the Bar Assocla.iGn
or the lawyers clubs. Their argument ~
refusing one woman's application. thouSh
she was sponsored by two of the most non
ored of their members. was tnat lney
If she we're admitted. Rather personal,
don't YOU think. as coming from large IN
nersonsl nlasculinity.. Men congregafe I'D
clubs to get businessodo use s'nh eaen ~
..True. but women's clubs, Whlie tney
have done much in the last t"eh.s W.
years in coming down from y
getting clean streets, have not yer reacheu
the point where the members heIp each
other in a business way. Ihen women are
80 ~ ,oval IN each other as they ought
to to- be- as Any woman involved in a domestic
entanglement. or a party TO 4 breach OF
promise suit. would prefer pouring Ior,n
har storv nunctuated by tears and signs
into the ears of a man, she would be
ashamed to tell it to 4 woman. though ne
would charge her twice as nuch ana MS
r,nn,thy 10 only the thinneSt profess
ional mask.
"Don,t al these handicaps justify awo-
man resorting to wiles occasionally
"\o because the wileS are w1ieieSS be
fore q Judge and Jury. You can mentallE
SEQ the men putting on their armor against
your lure. When I tried my first case. !
know the Judge expected me to wink one
aye If him: the foreman of the jury
thoucht he would be signalled with the
other. and I suppose the jury thought a
large and expansive smile would lncIuoe
+ban, ali Rut if they see you know your
work and are in earnest and sincere, they
--AinIsno% With SurnriSinO OulCk-