Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-10-24
a Dress REFoRM CRUSADE.

A great dress REFORM movement Is
About Ia he inaugurated IN the United
States and II shows that the women re
formers are un the warlath and really
mean business The great trouble up 70
the present time with the women has
been to get leader. a sort of Martin
Lutner who could WORK u great refnr
nation IN the fashion world THIS ieiltlCr
has been found in the person Of Mrs
Frank Stuart Parker of Chicago. who
so braveiy nailed her dress reform thesis
to the gates of Chautaupua On May
80 1891 the general officers of the Ni,-
tiOnal Counril of Women held IN i'm
pOrtant meeting IN indianapolis ard
passed resolution that crusade should
De waged ~ snon a. pNSsible against the
prevailing style of dress among wolaen
The first thing aimed AT WIS to secure
the adoption of more comfortable and
sensible. form Of dress for women engag.
ing in business avOcatinns This was 70
be- the beginning Of the emancipation Of
women from skirts. carriers. cnrSets. high
heels. high cOllars-in fact from every
thing that handlraps them from compel
ins with men IN the various professions
AMI occupations
The women say that corsets. bustles
and skirts mast heabOlishei. hence they
have Just selected ~ central commit
tee the following prominent women:
Mrs. Frank Stuart Parker OF Chicago
Mrs Frances T. Russell Of ST Pnul
Annie Jeunrss Miller. Of New York:
Elizateth Stuart Phelps Ward Anna e.
Brackett. DIR Mary Putnam jacob. Miss
Grace Dodge and Margaret S,,ngster
Chautanqua seems 10 have been hit
upon as the place in which to inaagurate
the movement The new reform WAS
unfoltled by Mrs. Parker Tins lady IS
one of the most charming uf persons.
and is the wife of Colonel Francis Park.
er the prih, pal of the Chanianuua
teachers retreat and president Of tie
Cook county normal SchuOl IN Chicago
She ia an author. lecturer and plucutiun-
list; is very pretty with classic features
and expressive eyes. and is a most EN-
gaglng conversatinust. She was pro
school ut OratUry
The new reform touches almost every
article Of wOlnan's apparel Before CIV.
ing the details OF the new system il
should b. SAID that Chautanlua has fDur
styles Of drpss-nauely. the mo skirt"
the solid skirt. the divided skirt" and
the APOLOGY for skirt Tor trnustretl
the last named being worn by the gym
nasium girls The radical reformers go
in for a slight modification of actresses
tights, while others are less extreme
preferring some improvement on the di.
vided skirt, which. they say ia too
roOmy. while the tights are not roouIy
enough. The new crusade IL very sweep
ing. and the curious thing about It all is
that Miss Frances Willard mas wheeled
the whole National Temperance union
into line in support nf the movement In
her bright address. entitled "A White
Life for Two" she made some very strik.
ing and suggestive remarks
when we heard what Mrs Parker
had been saying to the ChautauVna la
dies about dress reform we gave three
cheers for her" SAID the great temper
ance apostle. Miss Willard and she fol-
lowed this up by some startling state
ments This death line" said she.
drawing in the air with her finger the
: outline of wUiIau's waist squeezed into
the shape of an hour glass II call it the
; death line" and here her voice became
strong and resonant. her gestures ami.
mated and her eyes flushing this line
has filled more graves than whisky.
And the great audience in the atuphithe-
, alter applauded her To the echo
She then told the story Of the man.
darin's wife. who. when SOME Americans
expressed horror because she punched her
foot. exclaimed. We pinch the foot. but
you pinch the life.
The reformers will endcavor. by photo
graphs. statues and lectures from promi.
nent artists. to change the present ideal
of proportion in the human figure They
i recommend that each woman suuply her
self with good photograph Of the Venus
Of Milo They also suggest the study
7 of such figures IA the Venus t4enptrix
Juno. the Flying Victory Amazon
ThOrwoItsen'R Eve, RIchter's Queer
Louise Of Prussia coming down th'
stair, and the ascending figure c;Lllet
the "Fates" by Sherman iu fact
study Of all the most approved statues
!, in order to get the female eye accrs
toned AZ the artists eyes are to the RICH
position.
The reformers will try to- make Amer
can women understand that barharian
In every age. with their limited ideas %
real beauty. have defOr1ned the body IL
! various ways--the Flathead Indians. wht
endeavor to change the shape Of the head
the tattooing of various artistic design
upon the human body. the savages whit
put rings through their noses aud stick
through the outer rim Of their ears
!. those who hang heavy pieces Of wood o.
: ivory on the lower lip. cut off the eye
brows. slit the nOstrils. and file or black
en- the teeth. the Chinese who deforu
the foot, or permit the finger nails u
] grow to the length Of yard. shaving
the head or training the hair into gro
tesque forms, and last. bnt not least
the browning defnrmity of the coiiiprrs