The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-04-01
TO MISS CLEVELAND.
AN OPEN LETTER FROM ELIZA
BETH CADY STANTON.

Bare Necks, Shoulder Blades and Arms
Discussed from Hygienic and Philo-
sophie Standpoint-A Plea for Decent
Draping of the Human Body.
Especial Correspondence
TENAFLY, n. j., March 15-To Miss Cleve
land, Executive Mansion, Washington, D. c.;
Distinguished as you are, not only for your
native talents and remarkable common sense,
but just now by your position, as ''the first
lady in the land" ask your consideration of
a subject that has long demanded some ex-
preston of opinion from the refined, thought
full women of our country, and especially Just
now, as in our fashionable circles the custom
of partially denuding innocent girls in public
is being carried to the verge of immortality.
Sensible men of the press have, from time
to time, made some mild suggestions, in the
form of witty squibs, with the vain hope of
ties of their costume, which those who could
write have met with counter charges ON the
assailable points in mans attire; but no one
seems disposed to grapple philosophically
with the problem. Hence appeal to you to
give to your countrywomen, in your clear,
concise style, an exhaustive essay on this
question. In reading of your recherche
luncheons for ladies alone, it occurred to me
that you might seize that opportunity to in
troduCe the question o. bare necks and arms,
and discuss it freely, and perhaps inaugmate
among your fashionable acquaintance some
much needed reform.
With this hope | will content myself with a
few suggestions as to the several aspects in
which the dress question may be considered:
First-Who starts new fashions, and what
is their significance!
Second-What is their relation to health,
comfort, convenience and beauty!
Third-What is their effect on the morals
of the individual and society!
Like governments, religion and the Gus
toms of society, dress is the outgrowth of the
ideas of a people; hence, the style differs es-
sentially in various countries, and in the
same country at different times. The dress,
the manners, the morals proper for women
have always been based on some theory i'll re-
gard to the object of their creation and their
status in the scale of being. The sole object
of their existence up to our day has been sup
posed to be to please man; hence
while all the successive changes il
mans dress have been in the direc
ton of freedom, the endless fashions fol
woman's attire have been merely so many
variations of different forms of bondage
ton in which woman will be supposed to ex
ist for her own happiness, she will dress fol
her freedom and comfort. Frances Power
Cobbe facetiously asks the question: "If dog
and cats were called into being primarily fo
their own happiness, and secondarily fol
the convenience of their masters, is it toe
much to suppose that women also wert
created primarily for their own enjoymentF
When this theory prevails, no doubt many o
our costumes will be essentially modified.
Again, woman's dominion over man wa
always supposed to be purely physical, ant
Just in proportion as she could rouse his pas
sions, and hold him by those attractions t
which he was most susceptible, he was he
slave for the time being. Dress plays mos
important part in this kind of domination
which those who make a study of the passion
ate nature of man thoroughly understand
and drape their persons accordingly In tn
early history of the race men hunted TO
wives, as they now do for other game, an
captured the choicest they could find. The
they had it all their own way, except as the
interfered with one another The woman
chief pride and distinction was to be amon
| TIE stolen The next step was to make then
articles of merchandise, and as those VIII
came to purchase claimed the right to see tn
article offered, the scant drapery was so al
ranged as to display their greatest attrac
tions. But once in the possession of the happ,
owner, the charms must now be sedulously
yelled from all outside observers American
men are not so selfish and exacting. The,
allow their wives and daughters to unvai
before all Israel and the sun. In easter
nations the ideal woman was helpless, ant
modest in the extreme-safe only in seclusion
hence one nation compressed her feet in irol
shoes, that she might not stray iron
home; another required her to wear
mask, that no unbidden guest shout,
be seduced by her attractions, nor he
vanity cultivated by undue observation
Inc OWIleI WiSlcu liOuiO al I'd SOiSCh
trated on himself, absolute property il
woman being thus far the basic idea in all tn
social relations. To please man was the be
ginning, end and aim of her existence, til
creed and catechism of her religion He wa
the sun of her universe, the object Of he
worship, her chief study. Until now a
Ewes daughters have kind of hereditary in
sight into the wonders and mysteries of hi
complicated organization and the manifol
manifestations of his wisdom, goodness an
power.
In our day the girl in the progress of civil
zation has come, in measure, to own herself
and in addition to her beauties of feature an
complexion she is supposed to have man
higher attractions of a moral and intellectua
character. Many have thorough collegiat
education; some have inherited large fol
tunes: some are skilled in the trades, profe'
sions, and as they are no longer stolen, sol
nor given away by their male relatives, the
may be said now to hold more equal plac
with their brothers in the matrimonial maj
ket. In this view the question is pertinent
Why should young women longe
display their arms and shoulders
Being possessed of higher charms an
filling positions of honor and independence
and claiming equal social, civil and politics
rights with men, why should they unveil thei