The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-01-27
Extravaganza OF the Women.

tuluS lIupeElOuSiV OculauO0u Dy CncSS
times, the Charlottesville Chronicle,
with reckless bravery unparalleled
in the late war, makes an onslaught
upon female dress. It declares that
the number and quality of products q
woman has Oh her back is prodigious.
It enumerates all the articles Of the
female wardrobe with plrticularity
that can only be the result of long
and careful observation. Itsays that,
to rig out one young woman, there
must be an elegant pair of shoes, silk
stockings, Kid gloves, q bonnet, which
is world in itself pomadc, teeth
plugged, combs, hair-pins, hair-nct,
rouge, starch, sozodont, cologne, car
rings, brooch, chain, crinoline and
linen, flannel, finger-rings, fan. brace
let, watch, collar, cuffs, parasol, and
the main dress itself Add cloak,
furs, ovcr-shoes, sca-foam, balmoral,
ksce, pockct-handkcrchief, gold pen
Gil, portc-monaie, br;sde, lace, cord,
buttons, flowers, feathers, beads,
spangles. ribands, roseates, buckles,
furbelows, tucks, Hounces, embroid-
cry, etc; etc.
The Chronicle demands to know
whether women were intended for all
this ornamentation. 1t asserts that
one-third of their life is taken up in
buying, preparing and talking over
their dresses; that among themselves
the subject OF dress is almost the cx-
elusive subject of conversation, which
cannot be true in the neighborhood
Of Charlottesville-for some days at
least after the appearance of this az
ticle. 1t isthe opinion of the CA1oni-
Gle that about onc-fourth of the time
of the human race. and, perhaps, one
fourth of their earnings, are devoted
to the dressing of women. It is cs-
pecially indignant about bonnets, and
! insists that the Roman ladies never
dreamed of bonnets 1t believes that
a respectable female may be dressed,
for one year, for about SIS; whereas,
they average about $3.50. At least
5000, 0OO,O 600 4 year would be saved
to the country by the enforcement of
sumptuary laws, compelling the wo-
men to be economical in dress In
short, we should Judge from the
Chronicles article, that
Mans dress is of mans life 4 thing apart
Ills woman's whole existence
We trust the women will now pro-
ceed at once to reform, retrench, pay
off the national debt, and save the
country. Nothing of the kind can
be expected of the men. We have
always regarded the female sex, com
pared to the male, as II cheap insti-
tuition. A mans hat, coat, breeches
and boots cost moro in general than
woman's clothing. Moreover, the
men drinl; whiskey, smoke sesars,
chew tobacco, and cat voraciously.
There are as many male as female
spendthrifts among the young men
and the young women of fashion
When women marry, they generally
outside the great cities ut le;,st-cast
off their eXtravagant follies and other
nonsense; whereas, men exchange
their juvenile wild oats for politics
and other expensive Injuries that cost
the country a good deal more than all
the dress expenditures of the women.
Politicians involve II country in debt
and war, and then. the women are
called upon to go bareheaded, and
dress like Pocahontas, in order to
foot the bill.
We concur, however, in the vital
Importance OF retrenchmcnt by both
sexes. Men and women are both
spending IL great d. " Of money use
lessly. There is IL. immense outlay
upon supertiuitics, and unless greater
economy is exercised, the times, hard
as they are, will become infinitely
worse. No one should think now of
appearances. There is as much ne
cessity now for rigid economy as in
the Confederate times. The ladies
then showed themselves capable of
self-denial in dress, table and furni-
ture, and they have only to realize
that the necessity for retrenchment is
rs great as ever to set an example
that the men will do we'll to follow.
The PRESIDENT AND THE SUFFRAGE
BILL.-Therc remains little doubt
that the President will veto the negro
suffrage bill if it reaches him in its
present form. SO we'll understood is
his intention to-day, that some of the
Senators hesitate to pass the bill in
that body. Many Republicans who
voted for the bill as it passed the
House sly that they We're forced to
do it by the tactics of the Democrats,
who voted against rccommitment.
They did not wish to be put in "
position of appearing to oppose n
qualified extension of suffrage What
effect the veto will have upon the
future relations between the Tresi-
dent and the Republican party is q