The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-10-10
IS 1T WHOLLY SENTIMENT?

The question whether women shall
or shall not wear male attire on the
public street, when divested of the ex
travagant burlesque element with which
the comic papers have surrounded it,
has far deeper and more widespread
interest than might be supposed from
the fippancy with which it is common
ly approached. The fact is, it is sub
iect in which both sexes and pretty
nearly all classes of people are inter
ested. The whole discussion has grown
out of the exigencies of the bicycle, and
as the bicycle has come to stay, and as
it is so universally used, whatever per-
tains to it affects large number of all
kinds of people. We have used the
term "male attire advisedly, although
the defenders of the so-called "bloomers"
claim that they are not male attire at
ALL This is an evasion which common
sense cannot countenance. The differ
ence between male and female attire
in this country has always been the diff
ference between trousers and petticOats,
and when the line is drawn between
these two articles of apparel it is obvi-
Gus on which side of it the bloOmers
must belong.
The feeling of opposition to this pro-
posed departure, feeling which is en-
tertained by some women and nearly
all men. is denounced as "merely SEN
timent' by those who are strongly in
favor of the charge They bring up as
clinching argument the fact that in
Turkey woman may wear trousers,
but is disgraced if she uncovers her
face. 1t is argued that health and safety
demand the abandoning of skirts in
riding the bicycle. These declarations
are not confined to the "shrieking Sis
! ter hood" or to women who enjoy no.
+ toriety Sensible and refined women
y are found discussing the subject in an
f alarmingly tentative and inconclusive
manner, and it is we'll known that there
+ is no halfway ground for woman
: She does nOttOlerate. When she ceases
to denounce she begins to embrace
6 Along with the boomer question comes
q that as to the manner in which women
n should sit horse. In the Eastern
, cities they have quite generally adopted
+ the mans style of riding, and st. Pau
h is not without its awful examples IL
v this line. While this innovation is les:
= likely to be obnoXiously forced on th'
% public than the other, it is, if anything
g more shocking.
n The feeling of disgust which, as w
IS have said. is entertained by some WON
= en- and by most men with regard t.
r these things, is too general to be ignored
" even if it could be proved to be preju
L. dice. But is it only that? Is it no
Ip rather deep, underlying sense of wha
S. is right and proper which prompt
III them to set their faces against innOva
III tions which threaten, by gradual al
lie proaches, to break down certain invis
of BILE walls between the modest and tn
be immodest? The argument from TURK
at ish custom defeats itself the mOmer
e. you ask a selfrespecting America
re woman if she wishes to be placed on tn
ed same plane, for purposes Of discussion
lc- as the slave whose whole existen(
he turns on the intrigues of harem.
e. is universally conceded that the Amer
,ss can woman has more of real privilee
We and at the same time of chivalrous pr
ny lection than the woman of any 9TH
sss nation. The standard of womanhoc
in in America is higher than it is an
lal where else. When those who ha'
es- made that standard possible and secu
it are ranged on one side in matt
in which affects closely the action
on. women, it behooves the latter to thir
"a we'll before they do anything to vi
the late it.
t is There is no doubt in the minds
the people who have talked with men
ar stead of with women on the subje
r that they are practically all of o
ear mind. The man whose wife is engag
zap in expounding and fulfilling these U
J. pleasant ideas, is not likely to expr'