New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-10-31
end Of their lives .

In splto OF tho galantfy OF bngaMor-Uonofei
Cushing in coming 10 the defense Of the American
women, and particularly of city wives and
daughters, charged with having aided BY their
exhavsgsDce in bringing on the present financial
crisis, it seems to be generally agreed BY tho pres
that the accusation 10 but too well founded.
Indeed it notably detrscs from the force Of
Brigsdier General Cusbing's testimony 10 the case
that he has for many years past obs'inatey Kept
himself, in spite of the many caps that have been
Get for him, in condition Of single blessedness.
Perhaps be may now and then, especially during
his Mexican campaign, have been tempted into
some ANAL expenditures in the feminine line, in
the way Of gloves and pocket-handherchiets, with
perhaps nov and then ring by way Of keepsake.
These, however, are trihes. Had he been in the
habit for the last twenty years Of footing the bills OF
q fashionable wife and family Of fashionable
daughters perhaps he might not have been quito 20
positive and emphatic on the subject of female
economy. At all events, his right to speak in tho
case would have been less questionable and his
authority more weighty.
Some journals indeed, not content with protest
ing against the extravsgance OF our women, have
soLe 30 far as to oenource them as sinners 10 this
respect above all the women in the word. Very
aDfavcrable comparisons have been drawn between
the stIle Of ezp ense ard dre,s INDUCED in on this
side Of tie Atlantic ard that customary in France
ana EpgIsnd not merely on the part of the female
members Of families engaged in trade aud manufac-
lures but by tiose of high rank, and Whose for
tunes must be supposed to rect on much more
sold basis. But these comparisons, we are in.
cliued to think, do our fair countrywomen some
Injustice. TIE folly Of extravaganza in dress is not
by any means confined to them. Even ia staid, con-
servative and we'll behaved England to which our
women are pointed for models, this same extrava
eance o. female dres, would seem to prevail TO an
alarming degree. At all events, The Hestminster
Rtriec las felt called upon to devote
the leading article Of its October number to
this very topic According to that Journal, though
in lo54 a pitch of extravaganza had been reached
which il seemed impossible to Guido, "yet during
"the intervening years the sravest of these social
"ex,ravsea nces, that of female DRESS" has be-
come more conspicuous than at any time within
three generations. The gown Of 1857, according
to this authority, is not less distinguished for
clumeiness, ugliness aiecatiOn, stiffness and nois-
ness than it is for its cost 1t is made Of the most
expepsive materials 0btainable. Ladies who used
to dress handsomely on hundred and fifty dollars
q year. now fnd tina. sum insufficient for their
gowns alone; while middle class young ladies,
hitherto satisfied with hundred dollars year, are
now driven to their wits end to keep up with the
fashion at ALL They resort, we are told, to cheap,
snowy silks that will not last, or light, gauzy
materials, requiring Q style of petticoat that
makes the dress a costly one after all. Even
maid servants with yearly wages of fifty or sixty
dollars, feel morally obliged to curtail their custom
ary quarterly deposits 10 the savings bank in order
to double the compass of their skirts. Gas for the
"most numerous order Of its Victims" exclaims
our reviewer, "that Of middle class ladies, this
"year, 1857, will be Notifying or disastrous ono
1" in the family history Of too many households"
and this was written, be it observed, not
like cur New.York rebukes, under the pressure of
psnic, but in comfortable state of the money mar
ket. "The cost Of tho dress" this critic cont nuss
"hss become so dsproportionate to other items OF
expenditure as to create serious difficulty in the
"homes of men Of business who have hitherto been
liable to provide their wives and daughters with
what was peedfal to q moderate cOmplscency.
1.-THE rich silks of the day under their various
names, of which every lady thinks one at least
" absolutely necessary, cannot be had for wife
" and daughters, with tho prodigious trimmings
(which are equally indispensable, under less sum
L" than would maintain country clergyman or half
"pay officer and bis family. The paraphernalia OF
f" ribbons, laces, frinees and flowers is more ex-
pensive than the entire gown Of ten years ago."
This we think comes quite up to anything that has
been said about the extravsgauce of our American
women; and it is an additional proof that our
American feminine sinners have their complete
counterparts abroad, that tie reviewer adopts and
makes part Of his article the recent popular New.
York satire Of "Nothing to Wear
It is even insinuated in this review that, il ad-
dition to exhausted credit, debt and secret gam.
bling Of one sort OF another, resorted to by the
English women to enable them TO indulge 10 these
extravsgancer, downright theft is largely resorted
to in the form Of great spread Of shoplftng and
the purchase of stolen goods. It'll but too obvious
from this lamentable statement that, in preaching
economy and reform 10 our American womenkind.
it will hardly answer to send them for examples to
England.
A fine, or, perhaps we should say, 4 foul specimen