Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-15
"Bab" Objects to Mckinley's
BilI--Makes Corsets Dearer.
WHAT WOMEN CANNOT DO.
"Bab" Delivers Lecture on Her Sex to a
Group Of Women.
Why Should American Men Wish to Make
Corsets Dearer?-Dont They Want
Women to Look Trim and Neat,
with a Figure All Divine?
Copyright, 1891, by the Author.l
NIW YnRK Nov 10 100

lCOpyElSnt 1881, ny Tue AutuoT.l
NEW YORK. Nov. 10. 1891
From Our Regular Correspondent.
1t would interest me very much to know
what the Republican party have to do with
corsets! Why should the Mckinley bill
raise the price on corsets and pearl buttons2
Does it wish the women of the country to
become shapeless creatures, and to fasten
their belongings with safety pins9
WHY SHOULD CoRsETs BE DUTIABLE!
You can't put entire confidence in safety
pin. It's the sort of thing that has will OF
its own, and it's safe or unsafe, as it de-
sires. But to return to the corsets. What
has lovely woman done to the Republicans
that the price should be raised on the pink
satin affairs, that are 4 veritablc stay to
here What has lovely woman, who can
| make or unmake politics at her will, done
| that the beautiful brocaded French stays
should be raised in price, and be beyond the
reach of responsibility except when repre-
scented by millionalres2 Then, too, buttons.
| Every Republican official should be forced
| to have colored China one on the shirt
which is his protection by day or by night,
| for why should he decide the price of pearl
buttonSl II would be good idea to make
| him eat few of them just to see how they
! agreed with him at an advanced price.
OH, NO, WE DON'T WANT THAT.
| The American man wants the American
| woman to look the best IN the world but if
| he continues to raise the price on corsets,
| she will be as shapeless as a meal bag, and
| the women of every other country can ieer
| at her. Another thing. Just as men have
seen the demoralizing effects of the very
| loose teagown. so when, because of its high
| price, we can't have any more corsets, the
| women of the nation will become a disgrace
| toit, all owing to the freshness of a few
| politicians Il usually avoid slang, but that
word '!fresh'' comes i'll very well when men
| take to fiddling with women's belongings,
| and women will all go straight to the DEM
| milton bOw-wows. and sitting around like
| geese being fatted for the predigals.
THE WOMAN WITHOUT A CORSET.
The moral of it is this: A woman who
| hasn't her stays on, no matter how loose
| they may be, is given very 9much to throw
| ing herself in free and easy positions, that
| are very apt to suggest free and easy con-
verSation. | know | am bringing down on
| my head the wrath of the people who be-
| lieve that the devil and the corset are in
| combination. But, really, my friend, when
do womnn tell each other great many
| things they had much better keep to them
selves! AT night, when the corset is
| thrown aside, the easy wrapper assumed,
| and conversation is very confidential. If
woman were braced up with a well-feting
pair of stays, she would have too much
pride to tell her intimate friend of her hus-
bands weakness but, take off the stays,
are varied, she gets little down, and she
says what she oughtn't to say, and gives
confidence that ought to be kept for her
husbands ears alone. So you see great
deal more than the Republican party
dreams of depends on the cheapness Of the
well-fitting corset
WILL DRIVE Bah TO SSlUGGLERY.
By-the-by, did you ever meet one of these
ladylike gentlemen who wore long hair, gave
one large view of that piece of the apple
that stuck in Adams throat, and which he
has inherited, and who seems to spend his
life in directing how beauteous woman
should be dressedl He is accompanied al
her hair short, wears a high, stiff, white
collar, that, if she ever had any feminine
white curves in her throat hides them, and
is perfectly willing to indorse his views and
give you few liberal ones of her own.
Nine times out of ten she has written
book on some nasty topic, and she is never
so perfectly happy as when she can talk
about the purity of the mind and the body
inveighing against the vice of the corset,
and not knowing that its influence is one
of the greatest factors toward decency and
good behavior. It's just possible that some
editor may think this is a tout for a corset
house, which it isn't, for get mine from
the other side, and consequently feel bitter
toward anybody who wishes to raise the
duty on them, and now announce that l
will never pay it; l will smuggle, first.
Well, there is some pleasure in that
WOMEN OVER THE TEACUPs.
When two or three women meet together
over cup of tea, good tea, then the sort of
club that like has met. You can speak
your mind without offending the president,
say what you think without making the
treasurer feel that it is personal, and wear
what you please without undergoing the ST.
lent criticisms of about thirty pairs of eyes.
! 3 -. -
other day; the tea was good and the spoon
full of sherry added to it did not detract
from its favor, and the question to the fore
was: "What has knowledge done for
women9' The speech-maker of the party
told how it had made her a great painter a
great writer, great scientist; how she had
become doctor, a lawyer, dentist; here,
one small voice added, it was not necessary
10 teach her to be thief; and how the
great libraries were better filled, the great
newspapers made more valuable, and the
world at large altogether better because
woman could write prescription, could
give an opinion as to the law of things, pull
TOOTH and could stand in the pulpit and
preach and unite people in marriage.
WHAT IF SHE WERE UNwoMANLY2
A young woman who had lately wed
Charley, said that if a woman had married
her. she should feel as if she were properly
bound to him, either in the sight of the law
or III heaven. Sn6 also primarily cemarke0.
sWnat would Charley think if, when he
came home at O'Clock from working down
town all day, he didn't find me in pretty
gown, ready to make him as comfortable as
possible, and to kiss him and love him9
What would he think if 1 were writing
books instead of that2 What would he
think if 1 were running around pulling out
teeth2 What would he think if l were sit
ting upon tower looking for stars to come
out and make a scientist Of myself"
The other two women agreed that Char
ley would think she was
A PRETTY POOR SORT OF WIFE,
and that he would have a right to do it;
that her place was with Charley, for Char
ley and that he was the first person to be
considered. The other two gave violent ap-
plause to it, and INDUCED in a rebel yell of
delight, and took a mouthful of tea that
was too hot for me. Then 1 had my say. 1
may mention quite casually that l do not
speak to the point; have an inclination to
grow personal, which no really good speech
maker ought to have; it is piquant, but it
is apt to cause slight misunderstanding.
These are healed in various ways by the
razor, by the pistol, or by cold, dignifed
manner; generally go on the other side OF
the street, though, so that none of these
time-honored customs are necessary.
BAB's LITTLE SPEECH ON WOMAN.
the lady who was logical, and tried to an
swer it in regular fashion
Said /: Knowledge Of certain kind
has done nothing for women; the women
doctors do not compare, SO far as getting
Ia o<@l LA -