Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-15

they can hardly walk in the paths OF
righteousness, and there are men who
buy expensive suits of clothes and never
pay for them, aud who 90 through the
streets in great stripes Of color like ami
mated checkerboards. l say these things
because l want to show you that l am
impartial In my discourse, and that both
sexes in the language OF the Surrogate's
Office ''share and share alike"
AsGod may help me l am going to set
forth the evil effects of improper dress or
an excessive discipleship OF costume. 1t
is a simple truth that you all know, al
though the pulpit has not vet uttered it,
that much of the wOmanly costume of
our time is the cause OF the temporal and
eternal damnatiOn OF a multitude of men.
There is q shamelessness among many In
what is called high life that calls for We
hement protest. The etrife with many
seems to be how near they can come to the
verge of indecenoy without falling over.
The tide of masculine protiigacy will
never turn back until there Is a decided
reformation in wOmanly costume. | am in
full sympathy with the officer of the law
who at levee in Philadelphia last win.
ter, went uD to a so-called lady. and be-
cause of her sparse and Incompetent ap-
parel ordered her either to leave the house
or habilitate herself Immediately. 1t is
high time that our good and sensible wO-
men make vehement protest against fash
ionable indecency, and, if the women of
the household do not realize the deplora-
BILE extremes of much of the female cos
TUNES that husbands implead their wives
on this subject, and that fathers prohibit
their daughters. The evil is terrific and
Overshadowing.
l suppose that the American stage is
responsible for much OF this. l do not go
to theatres, so / must take the evidence Of
the actors and managers Of theatres, such
as Mr.. John Gilbert, Mr.. A. NJ. Palmer,
and Mr.. Daniel e. Bandmann. They have
recently told us that the crime of undress
is blasting the theatres which by many is
considered q school of morals, and p deed
superior to the church and fss = 3 amer
of the millennium. Mr.. P.S~ IS lays:
''The bulk of the perfCr5 Y the
stage is degrading ar So us. The
managers strive to cE near the
Sue as possible withOGs5f, ftly break
ing the law. There neyW - been COS
tunes worn on stage OF this city, either
In theatre, hall, OF dive 50 improper as
those that clOthe some OF the chorus in
recent comic opera productions" He
says in regard to the female performers:
at is not a question whether they can
sing, but Just how little they will
consent to wear.v Mr.. Bandmann, who
has been twenty.nine years on the stage
and before almost all nationalities, SAYS:
Il unhesitatingly state that the taste OF
the present theatfe-gOing people of
America as a body is Of a coarse and
vulgar)nature. The Hind0o would turn
with. disgust at such exhibitions, which
are sought after ana aPplauded on the
stage OF this country. Our shop windows
are full OF, and the walls covered with
show cards and posters which should
be disgFace TO an enlightened country
and an insult to the eye OF cultured
community" Mr.. Gilbert says; "Such
exhibition is a disastrous one to the
morals of the community. Are these
proper pictures to put out for therpubllc
TO look az, to say nothing of The prOpriety
Of females appearing in Dubiic dressed
like that? IL is sbamefull"
must take the testimony Of the friends
of the theatre and the confirmation which
| see on the board fences ana in the show
windows containing the pictures OF the
way actresses dress. l suppose that those
representations of playhouse costume are
true, for ii they are not true then those
highly moral and religious theatres are
swlndling the public by inducing the peO-
pie to the theatre by promises Of spectac-
ular nudity which they do not fulfill.
Now, all this lamiliarizes the public with
such improprieties Of costume and de-
presses the public conscience as to what
is allowable and right.
The parlor and drawing-room are now
running a race with the theatre and opera
bouife. They arc now nearly neck and
neck in the race, the latter little ahead,
but the parlOr and drawlDg-room are
gsining on the others, and the probability
is they will soon be even and pass the
stand so nearly at the came time that one
half or PandemOnium will clap its hands
because opera bOutfe has beaten and the
other halt because the drawing-room has
beaten. Let printing press, and platform,
and pulpit huri red-hOt anathema at the
boldness of much OF womanly attire. /
charge Christian women neither by style
of dress nor adjustment Of apparel to be-
come administrative of evil. Show me the
fashion plates Of any age between this
and the time OF Louis XVI, of France,
and Henry VIII, OF England, and / will
tell you the type OF morals or immOrals Of
that age or that year. No exception TO it.
Modest apparel means righteous people.
1mmOdest apparel always means a con-
taminated and deprayed society.
IL Is not only such bOldness that is to
be reprehended, but extravaganza OF cos
tune. This latter is the cause OF fraud
unlimitabe and ghastly. DO you know
that Arnold OF the Revolution proposed 10
sell his country in order 30 get money 90
support his home Wardr0beY | declare
here before God and this people that tue
effort to keep up expensive establish
ments In this country Is sending more
business men TO temporal perditiOn than
all other causes combined. IL was this
that sent prominent business men 70 the
watering OF stocks, and life insurance
Presidents TO perjured statements about
their assets aud some OF them
TO the penitentlary, aud has
completely upset our American finances.
But why should / 80 TO these famous de-
faultings TO show what men will do IN
order 10 keep up great home style and ex-
pensive wardrobe. when you aud / know
scores Of men who are put TO their Wits
end, aud are lashed from January to De-
cember, in the attempt7 Our Washing
ton politicians may tneoriZe until tho ex-
piration Of their terms of Office as 20 the
best way Of improving our monetary con-
dition In this country. IL will be OF NO
use, and things Will be no better, until we
learn TO put on our heads and backs and
feet and hands no more than we can pay
for.
There are clerks IN stores and banks on
limited salaries, whom the vain attempt
70 keep the wardrobe OF their family as
snowy as other folks wardrobes, are dy-
ing OF muils and diamonds and cameps
hair shawls and high hats, and they have
nothing left except what they give 20 ci-
cara and winesuppers, and they die before
their time, aud they Will expect US minis
ters 10 preach about them a. though they
were the victims Of early plety; and after
a high-class funeral with silver handles