The morning call., 1892-05-01
BY THE WAY.
Being a RanlDlGr'S Observations On Things
in General.
Tall Eats and Tight-Lacins Women and the
= Franchise How Long Will the Sin
- shine-An Historians Fame. -.
Written for THE MORNING Call.


From the views she advocates in. a book
on Humanitarian Government" Mrs:
Martin, better known as. Victoria Wood.
hull, appears to have very extreme notions
ION what can be done to regenerate mankind.
Under her; fostering care. if she becomes
President Of the United States, we shall
slough off all our misery and in a genera
ti0n or two become ideal beings, enjoying
perfect health and immunity from want
and crime. The dream OF the philanthro-
pist ana reformer will be realized in the de-
velopment of a perfect race. with all human
affairs organized in such mold that they
will run smoothly without jar or break
down. This is how Mrs. Martin would go:
to work: ~ would inaugurate q perfect
system of organization in every district,
parish and borough. Iwould employ edu-
Gated men and women whose:duy it would
be to find out the physical and mental con-
dition of every man, woman and child In
each district, and report the same to trained
educators at different quarters, SO that the
physical, mental and moral conditions OF an
entire city may be known. | would have an
official gazette published regularly, with the
reports from different quarters, so that the
people Of each district might know the con-
ditions Of their surroundings as perfectly as
Luey 10 now Oh LUelE own lSOlAIeu HOu6S.
She adds this detail: Should a mOnStrosty
ever be born the public should investigate
the condition of the parents, and find out
whether they were both fit TO marry when
they demanded a license for such purpose.
By so doing the people would b made to
realize what were the causes to which they
owe the ever growing burden of taxation
for the maintenance Of the HOn-etfectlye
and useless members of the community"
With full power and an omnlscient inquiS-.
itorial service, Mrs. Martin could strike at
many evils, but what hornets nest OF OBJ
structives she would raise about her ears!
The path of the reformer who sets out to
rectify the abuses to which mankind has
become habituated is thorny and t0rtuouS.
Spartan rgor in regulating the life of the
individual is admirable, but how far will
people submit to it? Possibly when women
have the franchise they may venture upon
many spheres of action that the lord of Gre
alton fears and avoids.
In one Of the Illustrated papers foible of
the fair sex in dress receives a smart rap.
Don't you think woman can do great
deal to elevate the stageP' Yes, she can
lower her hat r" The hint las often been
given that ladies abuse their privileges by
wearing mountains OF headgear in theaters,
knowing we'll that what they imagine adds
to their impressionable charms is a distinct
interference with the pleasure of others,
who cannot possibly see beyond or around
the modiste's triumph OF art In this sense
ladies, however beauteouS aud comedy. are
the personifcation Of undiluted selhshness,
and, far from being admired by those who
are supposed to be their devoted slaves,
they are often denounced and ridiculed for
their alterations of taste. But what cannot
be remedied must be endured. IL ladies
were to submit to dictatiOn from gentlemen
- hot tl.awr che fknrv
would sacrifice valuable portion of their
present independence in The matter Of cos
tune. They wear what they please within
the circle of the current fashion. and would
be very unhappy If they allowed them
selves to be guided by notions Of common
sense. In the whirl of the fashions common
sense has no place. 1t is one eternal round
of repetition in a cycle of years, with only
new materials for variety, and it is not0ri-
Gus that personal discomfort Is lightly en-
dured provided there is the supreme salts
faction of feeling that the martyrdom is Tor
fashions sake 1t were better to be dead
than to be comfortable and dowdy, and re-
garded by those who lay down the law in
style. and the great mass OF women who
initiate one another, as clothed but not
dressed.
At present ladies' hats are not extrava-
CANT in altitude, but the change to moderate
dimensions Is dictated by the same passion
for change that made the outrageously tall
hats handsome and becoming to every
dame and damsel who could afford one.
Whenever the change fromone mode to
another comes there is a consensus of ecstatic
Endorsement, no matter how revolutionary
the alteration, showing that the can0ns of
taste which regulate these fluctuations are
empirical. How foolish and ludicrous the
crinoline distention looks in those pictures