Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-09-11
THE ARM
A Social Innovation Not TOIera.
ted by Decent People.
Atlanta con.tltnllon.

NJ hhNa bOLtlltllOn.
At the urgent request Of several
fathers aud mothers Of this city. q
war will be kept up on the Arm
Clutch. In the meantime, if any
article defending it is sent in ior
publication with a responsible maze
attached TO be made public), Il
shall appear in these columns. The
Middle Georgia, jackson Argus, says:
This disgusting custom has arisen
to the dignity Of a public nuisance.
Every mar who will consider it for a
moment must condemn it. Every
woman who will inquire into its orr
gin and its tendencies will refuse ta
permit any man to practice it upon
her. The custom made its appearance
in our town and country during the
past winter-frst in the town, then in
the country. Like many other repre-
hensible customs it gradually grew in
favor, because the uuthoughted
deemed it fashionable. Though it is
not right to adopt any practice simply
because it is fashionable, it still may
be offered as an excuse that one does
what the majority does in order to
avoid appearing conspicuous. But this
plea can no longer be set up for the
clutch. 1t is now rapidly disappear
ing from our cities and towns. The
press over tho whole State has bitterly
denounced il. We know that jackson
and Butts county ladies, who are no.
ted for their modesty, and young men
of our town and county, who are ever
c~onsiderate where the wishes of the
other sex are concerned, will agree in
condemning the custom and relega.
ting it to the slums Of the city whence
it sprung.
The arm clutch epidemic is over
and the few sporadic cases Of it that
will appear in the future will be son.
spicuous because rare, and disgusting
because conspicuous. In the future a
young man might as well clutch his
girl by the arm on the far side, after
having passed his arm around her
wsist and expect to pass unnoticed, as
put on a genuine old fashioned clutch.
II a woman is too feeble to move about
with the assistance that she can re.
ceive from resting her hand on her
escorts arm, she had better fasten on
a liver pad and remain at home until
she has recovered her strength. The
arm clutch must 60. Everywhere the
people, with a proper sense OF decency,
are uttering their protest against it.
The arm clutch must 90, it is nausea
ting, 1t must go, after a brief and ig,
nomineous career.
Eatonton Messenger: We notice
that that great and good paper, the
Atlanta Constitution, has been, and
is yet, making fierce war upon the arm
clutch, and that a good many young
men and few ladies have expressed
their objection to and regret at such
proceeding on the part of our cOntem.
porary.
There is another thing that we no.
tice: Those young ladies aud gentle
men who thus object to the course Of
the Atlanta Constitution in this mat.
ter, fail entirely and utterly to give the
slightest clue to their names.
II the arm clutch is worthy Of de-
Tense from parties who practice it.tbat
defense is worthy of the signature Of
its defendants. Are the young ladies
and gentlemen ashamed to confess IN
print, as they do in public gaze,
that they do the arm clutch bust
ness?
There are one or two or three young
gentlemen in Eatonton who defy pub
lie opinion and who, defying such,
attempt to look silly in swinging to the
arm and leaning upon the shoulder Of
their young lady partners. We are
glad to say that almost without ex
ception the young ladies' act wisely in
refusing to thus render themselves
objects Of criticism.
II the Eatonton advocates of the
practice are 80 oblivious to public
opinion as their actions would indi
cate, would they mind giving us their
names, in order that we may print
a list of the arm olutchers in this
village2
Monroe Forsyth Advertiser:
10 front Of the chapel Of the
Wesleyan Female College, on com
mencement day, last month, was a
group Of men, ofwhom this writer was
one. AS couple after couple Of young
men and ladies went up the steps, and
entered the chapel, the men ~clutching
the ladies tightly by the arm and lean
ing against them in a style too plainly
amatory to be mistaken, the CONVERSE
ton Of this group of men turned upon
new fashion. These mea were all
and as they expressed them
on the subject, their opinions
coincided, and it was agreed by them
that the prevalence OF this disgusting
custom was so dangerous as to excite
! feeling Of alarm in the minds of
hose TO whom the welfare OF society is
lear. They suggested that the writer
a large audience to whom he
,ould speak through the columns of bis
paper, should make an earnest pro-
lest against this familiarity between
he sexes. Since that time a father
Monroe county, having a feeling of
alarm from the same cause, has made
he same suggestion. Always willing
o do what we eau for the good of so
,iety or any portion of 1t, we submit
he matter to the young ladies ard
gentlemen who read the Advertiser
md to the parents who have not yet
ost control OF their children, it will
70 seen that the custom is condemned
the severest terms by all the papers
which have spoken of it, as we'll il
nay be, for it is fraught with grave
The young lady who allows
thus familiarity handled and
ondled-for it is both-does so TO the
Of her modesty and s%elf-re-
Ipect. She may do 80, simply to fol
ow a fashion which she has not the
moral courage to oppose; sho may
lot-act as many doubtless do-with-
Tut thought Of the consequences; but
he consequences are none the less
for all that. Take away
woman's modesty and you take
away all that is lovely or beautiful.
her modesty sod you lessen
her loneliness aud be9uty, TO
hat extent. The present custom of
Allowing the man to grasp the lady's
arm and press it as it suits his incli-
at the same time pressing his
against hers, will, if persisted in