The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-04
BLooMERs SHOCKED THE PASTOR.
Since Then He Has Lain Awake
Nights Thinking of Them.
From the Philadelphia

HTOm tue GNllduclptlId LINES
The Woman's congress of Philadelphia,
held under the auspices Of the Temple col
lege, at Broad and Berks streets, began
its years work yesterday afternoon with
the first Of the long series of lectures which
it will have delivered during the winter.
The speaker was the Rev. DIR. Russell H.
Conwell, pastor of the Grace Baptist
church, and his subject was Woman and
the Wheel" The pertinNcy of the title
and a hope that DR.. Conwell would say
something about boomers brought large
number of women to the hall. There were
exactly two in bicycle costume. They look
ed nervous.
DR.. Conwell- opened the meeting with a
prayer for it's success. and then gave an
outline of the purposes and scope of the
society, during which the two women look
ed relieved.
Friends began DIR. Conwel, "this BIZ
cycle. question has kept me awake at
night. Here at last seems to be the OPP
portunlty offered for woman to get that
exercise, the lack Of which has prevented
her from as yet becoming the equal of
man. Will she seize that opportunity or
viii she lose 1t, as she already has in
my opinion lost dancing, considered as a
healthful exercise? She needs it, as any
one can see if he will only look at the
girl students 1t, this, college after two
months of study. Pale, heavy-eyed they
soon require long vacations and lose VAL
liable time, while their parents imagine
that education is not good for them
Women need more exercise; they can
get it on the bicycle. But right here
comes in that VeXing question of dress.
When ladies first used the bicycle they
used the same modest dress they used
for walking. Now, this was found to be
unhealthy, and the dress was shortened,
the desire being at first to get that dress
which should be the most modest and the
most convenient. Here great moral and
religious question came up. Woman's
vanity, always ready in some mysterious
way to combat with her modesty, arose,
and dresses were and are worn, the own
ers of which Owe got to speak with free
DOM ought to be arrested by the police
and locked up. While looking out of my
window on Broad street l saw two wo-
men on mems wheels. My heart bled, and
I could hardly restrain the tears, shocked
as l was, beyond expression. The ex-
tremes to which you are tending to go
seem to aus men immodest
Now, can't there be a movement among
the women to save the bicycle? Other
wise, it will go the way dancing has gone,
and a pure-minded, noble woman will be
unable to extract the enjoyment and ex~
ercise from it that she ought to. A skirt
that reaches to the knee only, and the
boomers which tend to approach a mans
costume are sure to destroy the use of
the wheel. So also do loud colors and
riding with the seat too far back or too
low, positions which make the woman
look like an gnbgeAa in a cyclone. Again
l ask You, Can't you save the wheel?
II would myself suggest a congress, with
a large prize for the most MODEST and
convenient costume, open to women only.
Or, If you would wish to open it to men,
and charge an admission, you could pack
the academy, And If you let them vote,
you would, Pm sure, secure a good re-
suit, for men want women to keep as
modest looking as they have done in the
past. Then a noble woman viii ride Dress
ed as she knows is right, and the others
will be arrested by the police. / look to
you to start the movement
AT tfei CLOSE Of DR. Conwelps speech a
committee of ten was named to confer
about the proposed congress. They will
report next week.
Neither of the two bicyclists present had
on boomers, and, since their skirts went
below the knee, they marched proudly
out and wheeled off.