The record-union., 1894-11-02
A FIELD FOR REAL REFORM.


intentional humor whatever, we call at
tention to the necessity for radical re-
form in convention women have OF
wearing street hats in public indoor as
semblies. There has been so much OF
bad wit'and weak fun poked at the nui-
sance, that women themselves believe
there lis no seriousness in it and that
men do not really care much about it.
Inlthis they labor under serious error.
The. wearing of the street hat indoors is
an absolute nuisance and ought to be
abated. If women will not do it then
men should. Indeed, in some quarters
they have already done so. In most of
the European capitals women are for
hidden in the opera-house and lecture
hall who insist upon wearing the
offensive head gear. Even in our sister
city, Oakland, women are required to
putyof their hats in the lecture-room.
At the lecture by General Wallace in
thisicity last Friday there were present
over thousand people in one of the best
aaditoriunls in the State. OF these fully
six hundren were Women, and of that
number not less than five hundred and
fifty wore hats that were not only ridic-
ulous an their limitation of hare's ears
but actually shut out the view of the
stage from nine out Of ten of the auditors.
We have it upon the best of profess
sional authority that the effort to see
through, around and between these head
pieces is one damaging to the eyesight.
That it ruff1es the temper goes without
saying, and that it destroys the pleasure
OF the evening in the lecture-room is a
fact that all witnesses will testify to-.
Probably of the thousand and more
people in the lecture-room Friday night
not two hundred gained sight of the
speakers face squarely, uninterruptedly
and without great discomfort. We can
establish that very large number did
not see the rostrum at all or the lecturer.
simply because the physical feat was i'm
possible of performance. the lines of
vision being obstructed by the hundreds
of street hats.
This may be illustrated by the simple
fancy of a sheet OF paper between the
eye. and close to it, and somewhat dis
tant.object to which the eye is directed.
Now, let fancy multiply the obstacle by
hundreds, and suppose all these to be
moving laterally to and fro, and it is easy
to understand what the discomfort of the
eye may be and the annoyance to the
owner of the eye, and we are assured that
this discomfort may and does amount to
absolute serious injury.
So this is no longer laughing matter
but one of gravity and, let us add, of the
invasion of human right. If there were
either utility or beauty in the objection
able headgear men would hesitate to COM
plain. If it were not senseless and
ridiculous fashion the thing might be en-
dured and the suffering accepted meekly.
There are several ways to the abolition
of the nuisance, and we weigh our words
IN so denominating it. By firmness on
the part of men with theatrical and lee
ture managers. Refusal to pay for seats
from which the stage may not be COM
fe,rtably viwed: refusal TO patronize en-
tertainment where street hats of the
order indicated are permitted, will touch
the pocket nerve and work reform. Tt
had that effect in opera in New York in
one large house where women are re-
Quired to uncover their heads OF wear
1ow-crowned hats. Another remedy is
a refusal among fair number of men TO
escort wives, sister, daughters, mothers
the women insist upon the offensive
hssaddress. A very few firm men, by
union of action in this respect, would
speedily bring about the reform, and the
opera wrap and hood-blessed be its
memory-would be restored to its former
honorable station.
Better still, and with far more of just
ice. the reform can be accomplished by
any dozen of prominent women in any
community. Let them, sensible as they
are of the nuisance, since women suffer