The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-25
CLEARED THE KITCHEN.
Miriam Nicholson Enjoyed the
Activities Of the Congress
Yesterday.

The women of the congress worked yes
teTday. They put aside all questions of
ethics, they dismissed all theories. They
LETT the drawing-room, the school, the work
shop, and got down to practical everyday
matters. They marched through the dim
ing-room and declared against the highly
seasoned dish with which Mrs. Oldwoman
has, according to them, ruined her hus-
bands stomach and unbalanced his nerves.
They went through the kitchen and
showed that same poor old lady that the
butter, the milk, the spices she uses are
adulterated; that the meat she serves at
her table is not fit to eat, that her home is
not properly ventilated, that the death of
her babies was due largely to her ignor-
ance and prejudice, that the water she
drinks and the air she breathes are deadly,
that she has neglected her sons and
daughters morals by falling to visit public
places in order to see that they are fit for
decent folk. In Imagination they cleaned
the sewers, they sterilized milk, they puri-
fed water, the streets, the easements
they visited the cattle-cars, the chicken
crates, the bedrooms, the churches.
''More souls have been lost through bad
air in the churches than by bad preach
ing" said Miss Shaw. 1.-THE air is bottled
up in our churches from Sunday to Sun
day, and then you expect Us ministers to
keep awake the farmers the country folk,
who live outdoors and are accustomed to
fill their lungs with pure air when they
Breathe
Then the women Illuminated against the
corset, and said harder things about cor
seted women than about uncorseted man.
''The reason that women don't dress as
they ought" declared Mrs. McComas, sis
that they are towards"
1.-THE women whom we honor" said DR.
Sarah Shuey of the Oakland Board Of
Health, with glance at Miss Anthony
''the women who have accomplished things
in the world, are the women who do not
wear corsets."
There was burst of laughter. DIR. Shuev
turned to behold Miss Shaw, who had lust
come upon the platform. MISS Shaw has
more influence with the audiences at the
Congregational church than all the rest OF
the speakers, but she looks as if she wears
corsets.
When DIR. Shuey's excellent paper was
finished Miss Shaw came forward.
81 have been held up as horrible ex.
ample" she said, in her clear-cut speech.
and smiling upon the audience, .but I'm
not guilty. don't blame man for think
ing women unfit to vote when we show
ourselves so unfit to take care of our
health. But we used to think that q
woman was not woman unless she was
cramped somewhere, her head, her waist
or her feet. And just here let me say that
the women who wear their sleeves above
their heads, who compress their waists
who dress in the prevailing exaggerated
style, are worse heathens than the Chi.
nese women who bandage their feet, and
to whom American women are continually
sending missionaries. When we women
have larger shoes and larger waists well
have better heads"
"It's all very WE'LL" came voice from
the gallery believe the lady had not red
hair-ssit's all very well for thin women to
talk about going without corsets, but what
are we stout ones going to do? The trouble
with most of US is that we're afraid Of
public opinion. Now, I died to public
opinion long ago. I'm not afraid of it any
more, and / intend to go home this after.
noon and take off my corset. But / dc
think all those women on the platform
should practice what they preach"
There was a commotion on the plat
form and then DR.. Harriet Maxson, who
had started the terrible topic, came forward
"a comely figure in her pretty black silk
gown with white lace collar and cuffs.
Il just want to say" she answered, look
ing squarely up to the gallery, 'that if the
lady Will come to the anteroOm after the
meeting I'll prove to her that we practice
what we preach"
Il think" said gentle Mrs. Maynard, the
minister from Reno, New, coming for
ward, THAT women do wrong in leaving
dress reform to US public women. We are