Catoctin clarion., 1886-04-15
WASHINGTON Letter.

women. The crusade against too lib
eral an exhibition of the quality of
womenly charms in question has been
led by the Presidents $ sister, who with
a good sense and moaesty that has
characterized her ever since she has
been mistress of the White House, in
her treatment of the case seems to have
followed the dictum Of the ancient Lat
in poet, "in medic tuttssimus a6Is, -
Though nearly all the best known
"Woman' Women have had their say,
it seems to me, as one of the inferior
race and an outsider, that none Of them
have touched the real morals of the
question, which is, what constitutes
immodestv in others? This differs
among nations. Modcsty is very much
the result of education, training, and
local tradition.
Perhaps one of the most vigorous, if
not the best letters upon the question
under comment was written by Mrs.
Belva A. Lockwood-the first woman
to run for the Presidency. She ad-
dresses MISS Cleveland in u communi.
cation coinciding with the latter lady
in the views expressed, but insisting
that these opinions are not radical
enough. Mrs. Lockwood insists that
the only purpose she has in writing
upon the dress matter at all is a con-
scientious desire, ''to add my mite to-
ward the correction of custom, the
tendency Of which l believe to be i'm
modest, ushealthful, and preroster-
ous.' "This CUSTOM" proceeds Mrs.
Lockwood in most vigorous English,
"srrang from the licentious courts Of
the old world and the dsmtmonde at a
time when a woman's personal charms
and not her mental and moral develop
ment won her favor in masculine eyes,
at time wheE it was popularly be
lieved that woman was created for the
purpose Of pandering to the lowest pas.
sions OF man These are plain spoken
words indeed, perhaps Il trihe too for
ciblc. And then-by way Of antlthe-
sis, suppose-she continues Sup
pose that the President, or one Of the
Cabinet, or a Senator, or a Supreme
Judge were to appear at a fashionable
reception in such a dress as this:"
As question is asked, will venture
to answer it by saying that if it were
known that the President or the Hon.
John Sherman, or Senator Edmunds
We're intending to present themselves
at fashionable reception" in low
necked and very dcco(lctte costume,
there would be a bigger crowd to see
than any similar number of ladies' could
attract. no matter how pronounce Their
attire might be. The Hon, Sherman
in low neck, Senator Edmunds ditto,
with the Hon. George F. Hoar, of Mas
sachusetts, in short sleeves, very low
cut waist, ye gods, what sight!
Last Monday three Of President
Cleyeland's Cabinet We're confined to
beds of sickness. Two Of them fell vic
tins to Jeifers oman simplicity.
Attorney General Garland walked
home in the rain and thus took fresh
cold upon an already diseased throat.
Secretary Lamar I saw get out of a
street car and plod his way through
the drenching rain to meet some ap-
pointHent. He got his feet and legs
wet, and on Sunday was unable to
leave his room. These two officers
were foolish enough to yield to the
miserable clamor about using the
coupes that had been for many years
attached to their respective depart
ments. The people of this great repub-
lie would, l think, rather pay for coupes
for their cabinet officers than to have
the m disabled from public business for
the want of a proper conveyance to and
from their places of business or 10 save
them from taking cold in meeting ap-
pointments in the evening.
Some of the Democratic Senators who
are not especially intimate at the White
House are giving good deal of Gre
dence to the stories that Secretary Man
ming had serious difference with The
President on the day Of his prostration
at the Treasury Department; that he
left the White House in state of great
agitation and intended to have present.
ed his resignation at once on that ac-
count. It is thought that the Secreta-
rvs letter to the Senate Finance Com
mittee on the subject of the internal
revenue collectors was little too easy
going in its terms to be satisfactory to
the President, but it is not believed