Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-03-22
THE DEGENEEHACY OF THE
FUBL.VC MORALS.
The Evils of FashiOu - Corruption
Among the women.
From the New York Frcemans Journal and Cath
Olic Register

olic Registerl
Modern school "cdueatiOn" having been
completed for girls, now, by dOtng mothers
who admire accomplishments which they
think queer, but accept as the fashions OF
the best society,"" the next thing is to "get
into" this wonderful "good society" TO
do this, Yankee ingenuity has devised liv-
ing in city hotels in winter, and at water
ing places in summer. Perhaps the kind
mammas urge their daughters to observe
carefully, and copy the manners OF the fine
ladies" they see. Perhaps the daughters
exert their tact in doing it themselves. A
lady friend from the country came to town
last week, ana told near friend of ours
that she had tried to get corset made, but
was told it could not be done under two
weeks, because all hands in the large eslab-
lishments she visited were engaged in max
ing false cdlueS for "ladieS" l0ho medr the
huiRg hOOpSl
On last Sunday, walking home from
Church through several fashionable streets.
we noticed women walking with fitting
skirts from where they had been pretend
ing to say their prayers; and, on all the
corners, and on hotel fronts, we saw rows
of well-dressed blackguards standing, OBJ
serving and laughing, and commenting on
what these women were exhibiting.
grace honest Pagans! Let every modest
woman who has been tricked into getting
these traps of the harlot as the latest ''fash-
ion," pull them off and burn them! Let
every parent see to it that his guileless
daughter is not disgraced by following
this fashion," Let masters OF households
do the charity to a servant maid that has
kent up with the "fashion," to provide her
with such as are modest, and forbid her,
while in his house, to play the airs of the
wanton! ........ ....
Why, even in Pagan times, when the men
abandoned themselves to the most vile prac-
tices. they tried to keep their looDaen uncor-
rupt. What are we coming to? 1t is not
here a question of Repubicanism or lmpe-
rialism. 1t is not question offree govern
ment or rdespotism. 1t is question OF the
existence of families and OF society. BY the
memories of our vlrtuous mothers, by our
love for our wives and daughters, let us
stop these public Outrages, and put un-
der the surveillance of the police impudtc
loOmen.
Let us make remark on the latest out
rave and indecency of ''fashion." A few
weeks ago, on muddy day, we saw walk
ing, some ways before US, a pitidble object.
In the distance il resembled poor German
peasant woman, with her short petticOat
coming somewhat below the knee. (There
is nothing immodest in that peasant dress,
The German peasant walks with her ankles
exposed, but there is no illusOry pretense of
covering them.) The poor creature wesaw
seemed to be such one, with a huge
clothes-line strung around her, on fram, Z,
on which she SCENE TO be carrying various
gewgaw dresses for different people. She
seemed to be the humble errand girl of
some dress makers establishment. On pass
ing the unhappy creature, we noticed that
she was sailing along with the idea that the
dresses hanging around her shoulders were
her own, and she looked as modest and un-
concerned as if she were really decently
covered. Speaking of it to those more du
fdit in such matters, we found that such
kind of dress is "all the rage" for some
time past. 1t is effected on purpose, by hav-
ing hoops made with sharp aud stiff curve
at the foot, that will tilt the dress above, and
EXPOSE the legs to the knee. Another "pro-
gress" keeps pace with it. 1t has been told
in the daily pap RS, but we rarely believe
ANYTHING we see in them. A very truthful
woman, however, living, says those are the
slime ladies" who display their rich broc-
AIDES, and jewelry, and gaudy dresses on
the streets and in public conveyances, and
at the hotel tables So hdrlots are setting
the fashions of dress and behavior for the
daughters of this people. 1t seems it is
enough to say it is the '.fashion," to make it
plea for following it. One of the latest
'tashionsn has been to have, dancing soirees
at Delmonico's, in Fourteenth street. @for
Young people," A rule of this fashion Is
chat no parents or guardians are to be ad-
mitted. We did not believe the statement
when it was first made in some of our city
papers. But we have 1t now on good au-
! thority that it is true, and that this past
winter, fathers and mothers have permitted
| their daughters to go to those soSrees with
young men, to sup and dance, and-tO come
lhome with them at three or four O'Clock in
the morning. just put it In plain language;
young girls In this city d0nOt find it a bic
on their characters to go with young men,
unaccompanied by their parents, to apub-
| lie tavern, to dance and eat and drink with
them, and to come home with them toward
/ Daylight a- 1o' oif'o'g e4 aa q = = easm.
h. We are, not the least in the world aston
| ished to hear that-in what 1t must be by
| irony--ara called sthe better classes'' of soc.
| iety, there has been a prodigious falling of
OF marriages. The marvel is, among AMI
i classes of society that do not draw sharI
| lines of non-intereourse with this whole
world Of indecencies and with all that toll.
| crate them, that so foolish thing as mar
fihge is ever dreamedof. Among such peo.
\ pie it Is not surprising that the number d
divorces should exceed thenunlber Of mar.
fihges. soi Ess25El 10 s9slaulF edf ssig9a1pa 6