The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-14
WOMAN'S RIGHT TO DRESS.

Mrs. DIR. Major Walker Before the Com
miSsIoMers of P0lice-TriaI of Officer
Pickett for Arrestibg the Major
Speech of the Com plafAant-A Lecture
Oh DEess-Wby the Female Major dig.
likes the Predominant FashtoAs-Tn.
stIuctlOn 10 the Police Supposed
Women 1n PaHtaIeORs TO be Let Alone
Hereafter, Etc.
AT two o'clock yesterday afternoon Mrs. Dr.. Mary
f. Wa ker, who gained some cec JrltY III the recent
army, appeared before the Ponce Commissioners, in
pursuance OF complaint flied By her against Police
Ofcer Pickett, for making her arrest without legal
cause. The complainant came INTO court wearing
style OF dress which mas received, ut dress conVen'
ons and in watet-cure circles, the ttlo OF the Ame
rIcan costume;" and Is also called the "BIoomer"
Or, SIS.
sis ed gown gathered at the waist in the
nam CT OF ordinary dresses, and u skirt reaching
thence little below the knees. Under bhIs was
pantaoons OF the same material, loosely lifting
the limbs and open al The feet as in the male attire.
The whole ap earance of the dress was very sugges
tive convenience, ease OF motion, and personal
neatl ess. The wearer bad the AIR OF lady. with
perhapsa slight tlnge OF (iemnneO smartness and
Guiie q col ect,on of peope, interested and By
chance attendant, were present Alter Opposing of
BoaId, Mrs Walker came forward at the 5qu sst o
Commissioner Ac on ana sad:-
i am stopping in New ork fOv few weeks but
do not reside here. have OIn this stY OF dress
Tor a good many years. Some seven or eight years
ago was Imy first apDearauc in New York with it;
L W
aiwals trea'ed with the grea est respect by all the
policemen, they always giving me information
which l desired, and aldlng me in every way.
have been here several tunes since Four years ago
speut a number Of weeks here and iour or five other
ladies wearing tie same style of dress were with me
at the same tlme We went over nearly all the
st eets of the city, at different tunes unmo.ested
and assisted by the police, as before. have been
| here every year s nee. There were number OF
| lady students here dressed III tins style, whom
knew; and some of the costumes we're even
| tour or five il ches shorter than my own. The
| reasons OF our wearing DIR, sses of this style
| were these:-Long dresses were so very uucom-
portable and inconVenIent that it was I'm possible
| to 20 up and down stairs without wtpiug the
fifth iIom The STAIRS, II the streets clio he be-
came SO filthy, in consequence OF their length that
they had TO be chaDged every time we went outs aud
not only this, lat we deemed impossible to wear
hoops in the street, when the wind blew ana avoid
| exposing the limbs. In the United states a great
many ladies lave worn this ye for the same
reasons. " have had conventions where we have
1 respectabIty tins certainly is So Asiae from the
incu nyenenGe of tue ohtr dress ana It's immodesty
we could no. 60 up INTO BnnG!r HUI Monu uMent
lis healthiu'ness. l am physician. I grldu
ated in 1865, and have been engaged snce ID civil
p -actlce before the war commenced, and in the
United States service a'teIWard. Have met large
number OF the nIst men and the mo refined lad es
IN the land, who have received mel ntO their society
and treated me with respect ! have been at the
Presidents reception many times, and have diled
with officers Of The 6overnmen nt aud their wives
| pea edly. During tie past winter have boarded
at ouse where two Generals and their wives
boarded, and members of Congress, and have
celVeq all the attenlioI lhut iauies receive wish
! the highest, the Lurest and the noble5t principle
and believe that if there is anything thai woman
receives from Heaven Ii is the rlght TO protect her
SELF morally; and with the present tyle of dress
there are circumstances where she cannot do u
Within my professional knowledge there have beer
cases brought 10 my notice, where, If ladies' c0u)t
have had il Ia hopatle to be dressed in this style
their moral regulations would nave been saved
Not three weeEs SINCE ire widow of an attorney
q man of reputation and OF honor, and sne one
. OF the most reputable ladies that the countr
r | affords. tO.uaV impaired IN health -
efforts to save her reputation in the present style
dress that she scarcely abe to sit up in bed sh
I ! dress And / say that in this republican cnan
J Try. if "a woman has not the right to dres
in such a waV that sh9 can protect herge'
seal strength as man. every effort should be use
| for her protection. This country Is not so file
| with morality that any woman who tries to live
high and noble lire should be compelled by Q coupl
4 of policemen TO put the long dress and live ju
as they say she should live. There another poiI