Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-01-31

Take Them on Gracefully so That Tho,
VIII Not Hnpn 10 be I.arislated on.

| Take Them or Gracefully so That They
VIII Not Have TO be Legislatcd on.
| New York Tribune.
The bill which has been introduced in
the assembly at Albany for the suppress
| sion of big hats and other nuisancc3 in
theatres could not, of course, fail to excite
| some remarks among theatrical managers.
The sentiments expressed among them yes
| terday varied from suppressed g.ief to
| open derision. Nobody seemed to think,
however, that the bill had any chance of
becoming law, and so few were inclined
| to view it at all seriously.
1t is of no use to try toconvince anybody
| intimate with theatres that the wearing of
| hats can be done away with altogether.
| The argument that hats are not worn in
the stalls OF European theatres has no
| effect. The answer is that the most of the
| women who sit in those seats come in car
| riages, while here the most of the women
wall; or come by some sort of public con-
| veyance. 1t is equally fruitless to point
| out that at the five performances of tho
| Theatre of Arts and Letters year ago no
hats were worn. The answer again il
carriages" Yet even with all the dis
| advantages of climate and custom, many
| women of this city do take of their hats
| in theatres, so many, indeed, that any
| spectator in any first-ciass New York
| theatre on any night will be almost sure,
| if he looks about him, to see one woman &c
| least without q hat. 1t is hard to prove
that n thing which is done cannot be done.
| Even If hats must be worn there is no
reason visible to the average masculine
intellect why they should be large hats.
| when small ones are commonly used in
other places. Even while the managers
insist that hats can never be taken off by
legislation, they admit that they cannot
see why women who are ordinarily kind
| hearted and consderate should delight in
making themselves obnoxious to persons
who have done nothing worse than to sic
| behind them, and who may be- for all
they know good and worthy people.
| The present bill, the managers say, is
| absurd. Suppose said one of them,
that Marshal Wilder should buy a seat
| behind Il very large man, and should COM
| plain that he could not see the stage. We
should have to give Mr.. Wilder back his
money or else remove the large man. ac-
| cDrding TO this bill" Nearly every
night" said another, somebody comes to
| the box office and asks to have his seat
changed because there is a big hat in front
of him and he cannot see tile stage. We
| give such person another seat If We can,
| and he is generally willing to take much
| worse seat, for the sake OF being rid OF the
nuisance but it Is likely enough that he
has bought his seat at Il hotel for 81 or
$3.50, and then he has to take cheap one
| at the back of the house, ana il IS very un-
fair. But this bill is not the way to remove
the trouble. There are some sensible men
| in the Legislature still, and the bill will
not pass, and it would do no good If it did,"
The bill introduced BY Assemblyman
Cutter the other day to promote innocent
| amusement and wholesome recreation by
removing the distractions with which the
devotees of barbnric fashions interrupt 4
view of the stage in theatrical entertain
ments will no doubt commend itself to
many patrons Of the drama who have en-
dured the exasperating experience of sit
ting behind a bobbing bird. or feather, or
floral decoration, or other shimmering
finals of the milliners' art during q
dramatic performance. For these adorn-
ments, which are intended to excite the
admiration of mankind. serve only to pro-
yoke wrath and rend in cuss words the
deep foundations of the heart when they
interpose their fluttering fiutfiness between
the spectator and the stage. 1t is in the
thrilling moments of the drama, when
the heavy trdgedian lies prone upon a
level with the stage, doing death agonies
that have to be watched closely to be APP
preeiated, or the skirt-dancer is fiinging
her foot aloft in manner that taxes the
attention OF the baldheaded in the orches.
ira seats--it is then that the carnal man
rises in wrath and says, There ought to
be a law agin it,"
1t may be that Assemblyman Cutter has
some time sat in the rear of this sort OF
exasperating millinery when things were
going on in front which he had paid ane
greatly desired to see. And it may be tina
he has seized the first opportunity to go
for the offending millinery with the ex-
terminating bosom of "be it enacted"
And If we are 10 change our present sys-
tenn of government and adopt paternalism
as its main feature, as some members of
Congress are proposing to do by foreclosing
the lien on the Pacific roads and embark
| TRANSFORMATION hualnRSQ there
seems to be no good reason why the State
should not take charge of the theatres and
other places of amusement and regulate
by law the height of the hats and perhaps
the amplitude OF the sleeves of spectators.
Mr.. Cutters bill provides that any person
purchasing n seat in place of amusement
who shall find his view DISTRACTED from
any cause within the control of the pro-
prietor or manager OF the entertainment
shall have the right to demand the return
of the price OF such seat unless the OBJ
struction be immedintely removed. Refusal
to return the money shall render the
manager liable to fine of four times the
amount paid. and the person causing the
obstruction shall be deemed guilty of
misdemeanor and subject to a fine of So
This is certainly heroic treatment of tho
millinery question. 1t will doubtless evoke
applause from great many sufferers who
believe Lhnt wherever there 10 grievance
or an Inconvenience law should be
enacted to remedy it, And il u govern
ment sets out to assume paternal functions,
there is no reason why it should not see
that everybody who buys theatre ticket
gets his moneys worth.
There is one other abuse which we hope
Mr.. Cutter will remedy by law as soon ~
he gets the millinery question settled salts
factorily. That is the practice INDUCED in
by certain persons of both sexes of drench-
ing themselves with the pungent perfume
extracted from gland or sac OF the musk
deer. 1t is very offensive and to some u
sickening odor. and so penetrating and
pervasye that it makes its presence known
to the passer-by in the street and saturates
the atmosphere almost to sulfocation
when the perfumed person enters room
or II street car. If Mr.. Gutter would intro.
duce bill providing that any passenger in
q street car whose sense of smell is offended
by the entrance OF one of these musk
scented individuals could demand that his
fare be refunded or the individual be put
of under suitable pains and penalties, hc
would be following up the millinery BUSH
ness with most salutary reform. Other
reforms may come along in their order as
the system of paternalism develops, but
the abolition Of tue high hat and the
musk nuisances will be an uncommonly
good beginning.