The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-11-14

probably when %she subject is put before them
again they will be moro eager to take advan-
tage of the chance to secure equal suffrage.
After few years women will wonder at their
past timidity, and men will surprise them
selves with memories of their past preiudices.
and woman's vote will be matter of course.
s..
FOR AND AGAINST BLooMERs.
FLORENCE, KAN, Nov /, 1895.
EDITOR BETTER HALF: Seeing the bToomer
question open for discussion in the Better
Half" thought would express the views of
a Kansas girl. / am the daughter Of an old SOL
der, and agree with Miss Edith L. Dunn in this
much, that women should dress according to
their occupation and state of their health.
/ spent the Summer in Colorado-even
walked from Cascade Canyon to the summit Of
Pixies Peak. l wore heavy shoes, short skirts
schoolgirls length, jaunty jacket, and walk
ing hat. There was one gentleman in our
party, who. of course. wore mans apparel. L
stood the trip equally as well as he, and felt
no necessity for boomers. AS we were max
ing the descent met three beautiful girls
with lovely blonde curls. To our dismay and
horror, they wore boomers. The gentleman
IN our party. addressing US girls, said: I" How
would You like to wear that rig?" The flush
of shame mantled our checks to think these
/ think woman should always be present.
able-even when engaged with her kitchen
work-at any or all hours, especially If she be
wife, mother, and neghbor. Imagine, if you
can. woman mixing bread, when, giancing
ont of the window, she sees neighbor coming
Then she must needs take her hands from the
bread and there is no time to wash them and
lengthen that skirt which Miss Garten spoke
of; if it were it wouldn't be heightened, for
it would have been the proper length at first
and there wouldn't be blOOmers underneath.
The womans skirt would be sprinkled with
flour and smeared with dough. Oh, what a
plight in which to receive caller5i and, of
course. she must answer the door, as ordinarily
farmers wives do not keep help.
If a woman is isolated or ostracised from So
ciety, away in the woods-say. maiden lady
with no loving husband, no fond children or
height ors, to respect her, with lover to greet
or friends TO meet, then, If ever, and only then,
is she eligible to boomers. Sweet girls and
modest mothers, if wear boomers shall we
do away with the serviceable kitchen-apron
and be fully masculine in our attire?
will venture TO say not one woman in 500
is ever called upon to round up herd of cattle
III driving storm Of sleet and snow as Miss
Garten mentioned.
would don the apron-overall and blouse,
but bIoomers-never Girls, let us be lady
like, and devote ourselves to womany work
leu US De as uUllhe our DTOtUeES as possible (IOr
they are bad enough. Let it be said of each
of US, "Shc is a lady" in the true sense of the
word, which will never be said of woman
who wears bloomers.-MAE JoLLIFFE.
EDITOR BETTER HALF: I am a constant
reader OF THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE, and am
very much interested in the blooncr question
Seeing tho three letters in the last Better
Half-some for aud some against b loomers,
/ am for them. / can't see for the life of me
what all the fuss is about; some people are so
easily shocked.
Attempting to ride wheel when wearing a |
skirt is folly; that | learned from bitter ex-
periehce, for have been thrown several times |
by its catching in the back wheel and chain
Iconsider woman just as much lady when |
she appears in her bicycle suit ever she is
in any dress. Let men object. For years girls |
have been kept too close-not allowed the
privilege of having the outdoor exercise they
should have. 1 would advise all girls to get
wheel and pair of bloomers.-MARIE WARD
.@s
Itseems that the arguments favoring boomers
are rather in the majority, but it is uphill work
So many women feel as Mae Jolliffe does; which
lisa pity for the bloomer costume is so convenient
and comfortable for a woman doing her heavy
work. The questions of modesty and of mas
culine criticisms seem to be the two great OBJ
stacles in the minds of femininty to the adop-
ton of the boomers, yet women have proved,
time and time again. that they can wear what
they pleass-hideous bustes or monstrous
hoops; they can adopt the Alexandria limp, or
shake hands high in the air because the
Prince of Wales had lame arm; and the
men love the women just the same, and they
will continue to love them. Their worst
enemies cannot say that boomers are in
any way uglier or moro immodest than
either the hoops or bustles. So rest your
selves, ladies; the men can't help loving
you. Always the greater part of modesty lieth
within the woman herself If she be not
modest no swathing, mufflng nor vailing
Of herself will make her so; if she be modest,
she may if necessary, like the Lady Godiva,
clothe herself only in her own long hair and not
lose her modesty. 1t is granted that usually
anything conspicuous may be called immodest,
that garments for wear in public should not be
strange nor startling enough to attract general
attention; but q pair of boomers worn only
under her own roof. at times when she has no
reason to expect callers. when, perhaps. she is
not likely to even see her husband or children
the one off at work and the others at school
is another matter. Then, in the name of oil
that is comfortable, why can't she put on
boomers and get her sweeping or washing or
ironing or baking done? Her neighbors are |
probably busy at their household tasks, and |
though one may chance to call while she is in |
the midst OF operations, why, then, it would be |
no disgrace for her to continue in the costume if
she continue the work. Furthermore, why |
does she not want more comfortable working |
costunea She really seems averse to being COM
Portable 1t is scanda0us for women to make /
martyrs of themselves, and yet |
they will do it with their long, heavy, manifold \
skirts. No woman need say that long skirts
are as comfortable for working costume as
When Baby sick, we gave her Castoria-
When she was q Child she cried for Castoria.