New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-09
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
IN SILK ATTIRE"


70 tie Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: In your paper of Saturday last there
sppeared an article headed In Silk Attire" which, 1t
seemed TO me- likely to prove to the Greeks stun
bling block the jews foOlishness The writer Of
that article reproved the women who appear upon the
platforms OF ecture-rOoms and Equal Rights Assoca'
tions for the extreme brsncy and richness Of their
tunes His remarks excellent regards sense but
some what inconsistent as emanatng from member OF
the press Never having had the glory and honor my
self Of appearing upon any platform. political or other
wise and cherishing in my heart Of hearts
sublime indifference to the ballot, you will
perceive that quite dislnterested in
rushing 70 the defense OF these ladies, who
have been uujustly attacked. I say unjusty,
because ever since women have adventured upon
platform the public press Of America has seen 1T to oc
cupy itself with their dress Their silks have been seem
lngiy important subject than their sentiments,
and their train thought inferior consequence 70 the
tram Of their gowns. Mrs. SoandsO. attred in "a
long description from the last Journal des MOdespre
oedes any Of what the lady in question had to
say and is evidently considered the chief point Of the
notice. And only last Spring, when the Equal Rights
Convention met In NewYOrk, and when the ladies who
occupied the platform, with two exceptions,
dressed with the greatest simplicity howl OF anguish
and reproach went up from the universal Jenkins who
evidently considered himself defrauded OF his rghts
Poor fellow had nothing TO describe and took his re-
yeDge by abusing the a1les Ignt ana oL' lyI tne
their attire So much SAID indeed, upon the subject,
that the women really became alarmed, and took 70
dressing vigorously sedeiense. No sooner however,
do they reach OF elegance superuity OF adOrn-
ment upon which the gentlemen OF the press can eX,
haust their whole vocabulary Of DOdsie phrases and all
the complimentary adecves IN their dictionaries, than
these inconsistent them for their vanity
aud extravaganza What the creatures to dot
Certainly the whole wrong and the fact that
a woman feels that she has something 70 say TO the
word, and comes mOdesy forward % say IT, gives Tom,
Dick and Harry no real warrant 70 into vulgar details
about her dress any than about her person her
speech her lecture Is full OF beauty and truth II IL
more less beautiful and whether delivered in
silk and worthless In itself all the satins and
veYets OF Paris aud EewYOrk IL. Then let
have truce gentlemen, upon this everlasting ques
of dress OF II your souls aching with their pent
up millinery poems, relieve them the gushing Of
fashion articles, ,1sd danR PuHkluH, our German
friends say
confess that should Ike before die, 20 see little
of the, same sauce served up with the gandeTi
20 see a vivid description Of the material
OF Mr sOand-SO's coat, interesting dis
auisitOn on the cut Of ms pantalOOns, when he
arose deliver his able lecture on Fossils 70 have scru
pulous reporters describe the color OF Mr. Curtss era
vat. the shape Of Mr. Beechers walscoat as freely
and az infinitely they comment upon Mrs. II. b. stan
tons gray ours and Miss Olive LOgan's pdHieF. Unt
reform be established shall not feel That the cham
pons OF Equal Rights have succeeded ia their under
taking. L. I.
IrOOElui Nov. 3 1861