The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-01
That is What Annie Jenness- Miller
Says About the Field for
Dress Reform.
The Foremost Advocate is Now
Resting From Her Labors in
Beautiful Evanston.
Physical Education Quite as Important
~ Mental-A National Institution of
Physical Culture Demanded.

Mrs. Annie Jenness-Miller, the fair ad-
vocate of dress reform whose agitation of
the subject Of artistic dress for the last half
dozen years has resulted in q universal in
terest among women, is quietly living in a
picturesae cottage in Evanston at present,
taking a needed rest from her labors and
analyzing the movement among the women
at Chautauqua in favor of a further re-
trenchment in the matter of feminine wear
ing apparel. To a reporter of the Chicago
Evening Post she said: 81 have taken no
part in the present discussion Of dress re-
form for two reasons, the first of which is
because l am in need of the rest l am now
taking, and the second because the field for
dress reform is broad enough to permit
every intelligent woman to evolve some idea
which, in whole or in part, may in time be
of practical value to the world at large. I
am content to rest upon my oars, as it we're.
] have, thanks to the intelligence of Am
erican women, planted the seeds of this
reform which is now approaching fruit
age. There are many gifted women enlist
ed IN the cause at present, and they will, I
am sure, carry o tho good work with a
conscientious regard for the Offices l have
performed, and treat the subject with the
broad spirit Of libsrality it merits. To
benefit womsnkind is a duty of womankind
in general and not of individuals. Ny ef-
forts in this respect are recognized by the
women who have adopted the reforms I
have advocated, and they are many.
''Dreas reform will care for itself, and I
am content to leave it in the hands of
women who can add an idea to it. In the
future / shall devote myself to a greater
field for reform than existed when I first
turned my attention to reforming women's
dress. The care Of the body and the thor
ough mental training of women embrace
an opportunity for reform of greater inn
port than that relating to dress, because
the latter is contingent upon both physi-
cal fitness and intelligent treatment. I
have long believed that the time must
come when the necessity for the physical
education of youth would be recognized az
quite as important as the mental, and I
nave cleared to hope more SO. Sound bod-
aiy development can certainly be demon-
etrated to be OF more importance to the
immediate welfare of the individual than
mental culture. especially if the latter be
accompanied and limited by physical weak
ness and suffering; indeed, / am convinced
That well-sustained mental strength and
profound mental Judgment and Justice
must rest upon the solid foundation of
physical health; while the grace of bodily
culture Is certainly quite M pleasing as the
attraction of mental culture.
The remedy lies in scientific physical up-
bulldment, and the means for widespread
physieal upbuildment do not exist in this
country at present, nor indeed in any other,
1t must be created, established and made to
appeal to the practical common sense of the
people for its support. A 4ational ~institu-
ton OF physical culture is a demand of our
higher civilization. The time IL ripe for &.