The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-07-30

Tho New York Cuism and Rousd Table
Of last week contains the following severe
thrust at Olive Logani
There IL nothing more offensive to men or
women than disregard Of natural modesty
by q member Of the gentler sox. There are
common women and bad womon-women
who sell themselves for prioe. We know
Of their existence, ignore them rs best
We can, and accept them ne necessary evi
In the present fallen state Of human nature.
But when respectable woman-one VINO u
known In society, and not VIGOROUSLY wicked
or openly q member Of either OF these
classes-degrades herself before tho eyes OF
the community, the people shrink back
abAshed and offended. Wo go 70 the opera
BOTTLE or the ballet, look on the whirllng
groups OF the mad antics OF tho can-can,
Without feeling any especial emotion, unless
tho aro Of youthful blood may cause an nd
dldonal pulsation TO tho hoart, and without
any positive sentiment Of shame. The girls
ars but performing tholr parts; thoy are
doing a. hundreds have done before them
and hundreds will do after them. The very
frequency OF the spectacle takes from II
much OF Its offeusiveness. We are used to
II, and do not mind II, although We do not
give II our approval.
Il Is the habit of the native women Of tho
equatorial countries aud Of the South Sea
Islands TO battle almost naked In the pres
ence OF men. Strangers, however shocked
thgy may be at first, soon become accus-
toned to this, and lose their surprise at Il.
The women themselves arc not necessarily
vils In consequence. Our best ladies will
appear at balls In very low -necked dresses,
and would DO insultod were any one to sug.
gest that they were immodest In so doing.
Habit has great influence upon our Ideas,
and custom may excuse what would other
wie DO absolutely criminal. Were q lady
to appear In ball costume on Broadway, she
would be simply indecent; were South Sea
Islander 10 walk on land In tho same hablli-
ments that she uses In the water, she would
be disgraced, even In the eyes Of her lax as.
sociates.
II one of the poor ballet girls were, of
the stage, to raise her clothes one half az
M ch as she does on II she would be gnllty
Of au objectionable offence against decency.
This Is precisely what Olive Logan does In
dlseusslng the nude drama In the manner
persons of hor fellow-women to elicit the
laugh Of the vulgar and the jeers Of the
brutal. She lowers herself precisely as she
would were she the show woman OF an i'm
moral play. She enters into every particu-
lar, and displays every Objectionable point;
and does this, not with the intention Of re-
buking the show, but for the purpose OF
making money. Under the pretencc Of
modesty, she encourages immodesty, and
makes the exhibition moro gross by her
manner Of treating Ii. A woman may serve
as an art study and be virtuous; but no wo-
man who would stand by and gloat over
her, and dwell upon each unveiled attraction,
could be modest.
Miss Logan does not strive to cover any
thing from the public gaze, but she draws
aside the scanty clothing and renders the
nudity more bare. She tells exactly what Is
Objectionable, and her grossness In telling
this makes II more so. And yet she would
defy or deprecate the criticism Of the press.
She, whose pruriency can find Its secret way
into every household-who sends broadcast
into the world what would otherwise be con-
fined to acorner-against whose approaches,
under the mantle Of literature, no family
Is Nfe-would demand that she should be
allowed to do the evil work In silence, with
the conniyance, II not approval, Of those
whose duty II Is 10 warn the public against
the danger. II the nude drama is offensive
and we do not defend it-her articles upon
II are doubly offensive. The former mus
be sought out; the latter seeks the young
the pure and the modest, and does Its cor
rupting work In the dark. All the burlesqus
troupes which have lately dlsgraocd our
stage have not wrought as much harm az
she who chronicles with prurient pen their
indecencies.