New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-09
TIE DE1Tg.KSELL or TROUSERS

The scope of tho Woman's Suffrage move
ment has been enlarged, and we may say, ele-
waited. Heretofore it has been confined to the
wrongs Of women, their deprivations and op-
pressions. HencefOrth men are to have
share in tho blessings which are to come to
tie world when the movement reaches It's VIC
tory. The proposition to give the men share
in this remote but not entirely uncertain mil
lenpium comes from the woman sutfragsts
themselves, and is made in the most generous
and magnanimous manner possible 1t will be
a pleasing surprise to the men, who, 80 far as
we know, have not presumed to ask so great
favor. The first intmation they had of it was
| dropped upon them in most unexpected
manner by the newspapers yesterday morning
| In them they read that at meeting of about
fifty ointment women suffrage leaders in this
city on Thursday evening the Rev. Anna OH
yer, herself a gifted suffrage worker, made
| this startling avowal al don't admire trou-
sers, aud | think mems dress is more in need OF
"Ieform than women's. should like 10 have
| 81 men dress like Oldtime pages, and have
drapery about their shoulders" This bold re-
form idea was rapturOusly applauded by the
fifty sullragsts present and was thereby made
a leading issue in the movement
This Is. as we have said generous and
| maenanimOus offer, and we venture to hope
that the men Of the universe will receive 1t with
| cordIalty. The chief obstacle to The progress
of woman suffrage has been the indifference oil
the women themselves, who are so blind TO
| their own oppressed condition that they do not
care to change it. Let us trust this Will not
be the case with tho men and their trousers
If we had been in the confidence of the Rev.
Anna Oliver, however, we would have suggest
ed TO her that she keep her prOpts iti0n In
reserve ill after the passage of the prevailing
cold wave. 1t was an unfavOIable time yester-
day 10 suggest to any man that he change his
costums and come down Broadway in the some
what scant attire of an "Uld-ume page" with
some tirapery" hanging from his shoulders
| IInattractiyc as tho conventional trousers may
he. they arc quite as comfortable as tights
when the thermometer is playing around zero.
A great deal depends upon choosing the night
time to launch reform, and VIZ are afraid that
| in THIS case the zeal of the agitator ovelcame
the discretion of the woman. Srll. let us hope
! for the best. 1t will not alW avs be winter
! The spring will come by and by, and men who
| are large minded and appreciatlve enough to
receive this offer in the proper spirit may ven
| ture upon cautious experiments with the new
costume bathing SUIT and waterproof
| cape borrowed for "drapery" from an oblig-
ing wife or sister, would do for beginning.
Broadway with hundred or two OF male pc
| destriaus in this costume would certainly pre-
sent much less monotonous appearance than 1t
does now.
We have said that this offer of assistance to
i'll dressed man has been made without solicit
tatiOn on his part but that is mere suImlse.
The reform suggested is very radical; much
moro so than any of a similar nature which has
heretofore been proposed by any man, or
woman. or Oscar Wide. This fact prompts
the inference that it is original with the Rev.
| Anna Oliver, bit that may not be the case.
| For aught we know it may have been Wills
| pered to her by the Hon. David Davis, or Ros-
| coe Conkling, or General Butler, or the Hon.
| Carl Schurz, each OF whom would look ex-
tremely we'll in the reformed apparel. Imag-
| inc for n moment the Hon. David Davis saunt-
ering down the aisle of the Senate to the pres
! ident's chair attired in the "dress Of an old
time pagenl What an interest it would give
| To the sleepy proceedings of our highest egs
| lotive body The galleries would have to be
enlarged 70 a hundred times their present size
| to ACCOMMODATE Uue humlIIuS lHOuSdhuo WIN
| vyould gather to view the spectacle. Imagine,
too, the stately figure of Mr.. Conkling in a
page's tights with drapely falling over that
| renowned torsOl The interest his appearance
| in uublic would create might be great enough
| to carry him back into public life. The mere
suggestion of what the new dress would do
for these few men is sufficient to awaken in
even the most commonplace mind an entranc-
ing picture of its vast possibilities when 1t
shall have been adopted as the daily apparel of
all men, The idea may be received Coldly at
first; may even be sconed at-that is the fate
of all truly great conceptions; but it must
gain favor with time. But whatever comes Of
if. the Rev. Anna Oliver has earned the
thanks of all true men everywhere for the in
terest she has shown in their artistic aspect,
| and we trust she will get them.