St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-10
TIGHTS TO TREMDlE:.
Senator MeHale'S Bill Carries
CONSERVATION to the
Leg Shows.
Ballet Dancers Must Put on
Trousers if the Bill Is
a Law.
What a Few Leading Mana
gers OF Chicago Say of
the Scheme.
Editor Bowen Contributes a
Brochure to Contempora-
neouS Literature.

sary committee, and withal. one Of the
brightest. hardest working of the Sena-
Tors. merely smiles when reference is
made To his anti-tightS bill, which was
published exclusively iii the GLOBE IF
recent date. But his bill has created
decided sensation in other cities, es-
pecially Chicago, which was filled with
comic opera ana other companies. all
hradcd for Minnesota. The provisions
of the law are as follows:
That any female person who shall, upon
The stage or platform i'll any theatcr or opera
house. concert hall, ofahy public place what
rNcr where other persons are present. eX-
ROSc her neither limb or limbs. dressed in
iighI>. % called, or in any manner whatever.
ho that The shape and form of her neither
iiinh or limbs are plainly visible 10 such other
persons present shall be guilty OF open and
gross lcWdness ANA lasciyiOus behavior, and
guilty at misdemeauOT. and upon cOnYiC-
tion thereof shall lie punished by fine OF
not less than - nor more than 500 or i'm
Iri>pumcnt in the county jail not les than
Ave days nor mere than thirty.
Some Managers Talk.
ii this law goes into effect all bur
irsque shows will be prevented from
s,Iaying in the Minnesota towns. or if
jney do play it Will be in violation of
5hc law. Manager Dave Henderson. Of
thc Chicago opera house, was seen by a
lhicagO Tribune reporter, and was
enund III a pertuTbed state of mind.
r'Ges, ! have seen The report of this
minnesota natter he said, but have
scarcely had time to make up my mind
tha 30 think of it. We have our dates
81 81. Paul and Minneapolis, and shall
go there prepared to ill them. If we are
prevented that IS not our matter This
sudden burst of supposed decorum is
tncomprenensible to me. There is moth
Ing nmodest in our show or il any Of
abe shows of the same class. 1t is art.
hothln@ more, nothing less. | cannot see
Brow any one can take a different view
Ot The matter. ! admire Il fine figure
riad in tights as l would beautiful
s'iece OF statuary. There is nothing
suggestive in il. Elevate the STAGE
There l. nothing eleVating in such Il
rule. The American people Of to-day
should he way above seeing anything
tmnlodcst in burleSque performance.
Tight wearing is matter Of business
with the chorus girls. These women
ataye. as 4 class, Just as much thought
iur the mOdesties of lite as any class of
women that lives. This is their profess
sion. Noone hesitates to believe in the
good character Of the professional
1u0dcl. 1t is true that the public often
soOkS down upon the women who fol-
toW the stage for a living. They do not
deserve this reputation. however Evils
lfcep into the profession. | will admit
but as far as the belief that jhe wearing
al tights demoraliZed the WearerS. there
Is nothing in it.
Why Tights Are Worn.
Looking upon the matter from the
outside hold the same view. and now
will talk plainly. There is no one that
docs not hold in his mind the contour OF
the human body. At any time they can
1ring to their minds eye an exact
picture of the human form divine. Why.
chen. should any one see ANYTHING
vicious in displaying that form? But
Jlere let me descend 10 the practical
SIDE of the question. Tights are not
HrOln 10 show off the curves OF the body
This bill only touches the females.
Why not include the men as well? The
latter wear tights, and they wear them
for treeneSs i'll physical action. Tie
same i true of women. DO YOU sup
Qnsc they would dance with the agility
and gracefulness that charactcrizes the
Gurlesqne dance # they did not cut the
cumbersome garments off?
i have talked this matter over. look
any al it in its most serious aspect.
Now, will tell you what really think
al IT. ii IS the most ridiculous measure
shat anNsieg slative body Of the dignity
;lnd character thai the Minnesota leglS-
sature is supposed 10 possess ever took
slp. Sach bill is impractcable. and.
sn my opinion, will never become a law.
he Crystal Slipper is Advertised to
play in the Twin cities 1t will play
ihcrc."
Thinks tlae Idea Ridiculous.
If Francis Wilson's company is kept
away from Minnesota the census max
"rs will be deprived of seeing thirty-siX
pairS of dainty neither limbs twirling
and gliding about the stage. The man
:l%er OF the company was inclined to
consider the whole matter as iOke
The people up there iii Minnesota;
SAID he. will not, in my opinion, allow
"ny such law to 90 into effect. 1t
SNouid Kill their big cities 1t is non
sense. AS for what our company will
iio. tl.cre is but one thing for us to do
shat Is % 90 oA and fill our engagement
Ihi~ we shall dc. If they stop us we
Miii he stopped, that is all. ] suppose
axe might put pants on the women-Or
hoW would ii look to tie Dantalets TO
thelr knees and allow them TO hang
'iown? That would fill the letter Of the
Jaw, which expressly SAYS neither
slmbS. According to the Minnesota So
IONS women may appear on the stage
%lth nothing on the upper half of their
body, so long as their legs are covered
with Il skirt. There is nothing sug-
EcStivc about dancing in tights. o..
the contrary, it is the dancing in Skirts
That is suggestive. Suggestiveness is
!he only excuse for the skirt dance be-
Ing performed. The same IS true OF the
t'al-can, which is danced with long
skirts.
This matter has moi gore far enough
10 say what viii be done if they try to
stop our performance. so | cannot say
ayrat we would do in that event"
Nat Roth, manager of the "RCd Hus-
sar' company. said that The law might
.pauSc I'm To
Change His Plans.
II bad been intending to play Paul
Nnd Minneapolis in May. but could not
(io 81 if his actresses were not allowed
40 Wem tights. This is The height of
9oily. said he. 81 do not see what the
pcoplc up there are thinking about. 1t
Is OH parallel with the action OF Ger
tain Rhode Islanders in putting pants
pu tie statues of classic figures in the
muScUmS. We arc waiting develop
0entS. and as we are not going there
7mti May. II Is 100 suon IN say what we
Silal 90. rs 10 the sense Of this bill
jnlSht as well pass a law forbid ding
women 20 lit their skirts when crossing
1lt street
about the only time large company
"aN obliged 10 put the tights out Of sight
Mas when the American Opera COM
pany, Mrs. 1hurber's celebrated ven
lure, struck the staid village Of Buffalo.
Then the aldermen, who, by the way,
were Republicans. assembled and COM
peeled the ballet dancers and chorus
girls Of whom there were about 125, to
appear in pants. On the spur of the
snomcnlS trousers of cotton cloth were
lnadc after the Turkish pattern. and the
Niobes fitted about the boards in these
aingl accful garments. 1t was treated
by ti'cm as a huge joke, and the day
after the company left town each alder
Inan received an express package con-
tanning pair OF the trousers.
a Duluth View.