Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-27

far east. No voice,
he a d, would be
Knte bond. heard across the
ocean moro clearly than that of the en-
lightened women of the United States. who
stand in the front rank of those who are
battling for the advancement Of the sex.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Kiretchjian's
speech fraternal greetings on behalf or the
Business Woman's League were extended
by Mrs. Ellen A. Richardson of Boston.
The Report ON Dress.
The session of the morning was under the
auspices of the committee on dress. The
report of the chairman of the committee.
Frances E. Russell of St. Paul, Mimi. was
read by Mrs. Rachel Foster Avery.
The report characterized the use Of the
corset and the long skirt as detrimental to
the best interests of the sex. 1t pointed
sex had been too long retarded by the style
of clothing invented for them by the men
Of Paris. The influence of clothing on
character begins with the earliest child
hood. Frequently it is said that small boys
are naturally mora graceful than small
girls, but the truth of 1t all is that the diff
ference comes not from mature but from
dress. Dress little girl in a suit of jersey
cloth like her brother, easy and giving full
play to the limbs and she will be as pic
turesque and, at the same time, as happy
as he. But put her in long frocks and
cloaks that hamper her every movement,
and she Will not be at her best by any
means.
Woman has been the slave of her clothes
long enough said the chairman. and the
spread of the interest in athletic and BIZ
cycle costumes has done much to bring her
freedom. Women should feel free to wear
suitable and sensible clothing appropriate
to the different occasions instead of fol-
lowing slavishly every whim of fashion.
The eternal skirt Is cumbrous and a null
sance. but 1t persists because 1t advertises
the fact that the woman inside 1t is rich
enough to afford the idleness such re-
striction enforces- The same Is true of the
high heels and the unnatural waists. Wo-
mans dress is enough to prevent her from
achieving her highest aims, and is the most
evident badge of her social dependency.
The paper treated at some length of the
efforts which have been made to find an
attractive ard sensible costume for the
female sex. But, said Mrs. Russell, the
perfect dress for women has not yet been
invented. Organizations of women and the
widespread interest in the subject are do
ing great DEAL but there is still great
deal left to do.
Ethics of Dress.
1.-The Ethics of Dress was the subject Of
an address by Rev. Ida c. lIultin of Mo-
line, ILL.,, who opened the discussion on the
subject of the morning.
Many peoples have viewed the body from
different points of view," said Miss Hultin,
land have regarded it as intended for diff
ferent aims and objects; but the theory Of
the Christian Is simple one. My body Is
not myself, but it is mine: it is my tool
wherewith to do. We cannot separate
mind, body and spirit; the three are one
the body to influence it but affects the
mind to elevate or degrade it. Our body is
our tool, and 1t is our duty to make it
beautiful as we'll as strong. There cannot
soul unless the body is free and untram-
meled. Women have long been said 20
dress for admiration's sake, but Of lete
there has been something of a change in
beginning to think about what they should
admire. The dressing part of life has
taken SO much of woman's time that it has
left little in which she can develop the best
and truest side of her character.
Reform in dress will never be success
full" said Miss Hultin. until form of
dress has been invented which shall COM
bine the three requisites of beauty, economy
and comfort. We should have regard for
the eternal fitness of things, and, above all.
our dress should be for U.S. not we for our
dress. Above all else, our dress should be
an expression Of our personality, or, at
least, be an aid to it, not concealment of
it,
Dress ms nm Art.
DRESS as an Art" was the subject of an
address by Mrs. Martha ]. Strickland of
Illinois.
Mrs. Strickland wore a reform gown. It
was of plain black velvet, which fell in
freedom from the bust to the floor, much
on the lines of the old-fashioned Mother
Hubbard, without any ornaments to break
the lines. There was yoke of black silk
and the lego mutton sleeves, also Of silk,
were small compared with present styles.
The gown was fitted to the body in the
back, but not in front.
To Mrs. Martha Strickland, lawyer, be-
longs the honor of being the first woman
to argue a case in the supreme court of
Michigan. At the age of twenty she be-
gan the study of law with her father, Ru-
dolph Strickland of st. Johns, and was
graduated from the law department of the
University of Michigan in 1883. 1t was due
to her efforts that there, was won before
the supreme court Of her native state one
Of the greatest legal victories for women.
The case involved the right of women to
hold the office of deputy county clerk.
Some of the best lawyers doubted her po-
sition, but with faith in her case she pre-
pared her brief appeared before the court,
made her argument. and won. In 1856 she
opened law Office in Detroit Her classes
in parliamentary law and the. active inter-
est she has taken in every movement for
the advancement of woman has brought
her in contact with the intellectual ele-
ment of the city, and she occupies lead
irg place among the prominent women of
Detroit. ...t.
In dress, says Mrs. Strickland. more at
tention could be paid to unity and beauty.
In arraying women we exaggerate the
gerate the hips. Then we say, Look at
this point of beauty, look at that" but
we do not say. Look at the woman as a
whole" We have destroyed her unity.
There is another ailment which should be
considered, and that is the element of mo-
ton. The perfect dressmaker of the future
must give due regard to the artistic, but
he must do nothing that will restrict the
free and graceful movements Of woman's
body.
From a BicycItst's Standpoint.
Miss Frances Seavey of Massachusetts,
read carefully prepared paper on the
subject of Improved Dress From a Bicy-
clist's Standpoint" "Woman's DRESS" said
Miss Seavey, lis subject which deserves
the most earnest consideration, from the
little muslins in which she Is first swathed
to the garb in which she is placed for her