The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-08-29
THE PLUG HAT.
1 Movement to Dethrone the
Time-Honored "6tovepipe."


Roughly speaking, the average Eng
lishman il pretty certain to make one or
two remarks when he gets up In the
morning. If the sporting instinct is
strong in him-and it Is in most Eng
.iahmen-he exclaims: Lets go and
kill something" But, if he is animated
by desire to set the world right, he
soliloquizes thus with himself: ''Go
TO, now; let US start reform
movement" Next, perhaps to killing
something, the Englishman most loves
TO compel lot of other people to be
good, or at leost better than they were
before, according to his way of think
ing. 1t makes no difference that the
people he sets ont to reform may not
be such bad sort-that, on the whole,
they measure up fairly well to
the standard of average worth
and respectability. They do some
thing, or perhaps only think
something, that the reformer has de-
cided must not and shall not be done
or thought. So he starts movement,
with himself a. leader, establishes =
propaganda, forms q society with q
name as long as the moral law, and
then goes up hill and down dale making
converts. The number of movements
that blossom out in England every year
into societies, with paid officials and
portentous reports of good work done.
is past computation. Many of them, it
is true, are closely related to the for
ward movement of humanity, and are
deserving Of oil the support they re-
ceive, but others are purely fantastic
and visionary, like the Society for Pro-
testing Against the Evil of Using the
Right Hand in Preference to the Left,
as Contrary to Scripture and Common
Sense" But, however visionary such
societies are, they all get support and
make numerous disciples.
Here, for instance. is Lord Ronald
Cover, somewhat well-knOwn figure
in the social and ar{stocratic world of
London, coming forward with a brand
new movement Of abolishing the plug"
hat, on the ground that it is most
uncomfortable and hideous headgear,
worthy of q scarecrow, but not of a
human being" These be swelling
words, and it may be true words, but
what are they going to amount to?
Does Lord Ronald Cover seriously ex-
pect to convert the Anglo-Saxon race
from the "plug..- hat habit? II 50, he
isnursing chimera of the most chimer-
ical kind. Even the Grand Old Man
himself wouldn't succeed in such a
crusade. For, mark you, the plug"
hat is strong in ks very weakness, and
sits securely on the head Of the Eng
disappearing race, not because it is
the ideal hat, but because 1t isn't. It
is uncomfortable, says this lordly re-
former. OF course it Is, and therefore
the average Englishman will wear it
and nothing else when he is dressed up
and on public parade. If he wants TO
be comfortable he goes home and gets
into his dressing gown and slippers.
The fact that the plug" hat il uncom-
portable is the best possible evidence
that it must be good form. And when
a thing is good form. what more can you
ask?
But. continues the critic, the "plug"
hat is hideous. The word "hideous" il,
perhaps, little strong; "ugly" would
be nearer the truth. II, however, Lord
Ronald Cover thinks that the English
peoplewill give up the "plug" hat when
he tells them it is hideous or ugly he
makes the mistake of his life. They
Niow already that it is ugly, and that is
why they wear it. II it was q dream Of
artistic beauty they would have none OF
it. The descendants of the old sea kings
are no mollycoddles; they are not go
ing to go around wearing beautiful
hats. Outside beauty is . snare; what
matters it, indeed, how ugly your hat
is if only your heart beats true to your
native land? Such would be the average
Englishman's defense Of the plug
hats ugliness, If he ever thought it
worth while to defend what needs no
defense. The 'plug" hat IL both un-
comfortable and ugly. Very true.
But it is an evolution Of Anglo-Saxon
civilization. It was not reasoned into
its present shape. and it is certain that
it will not be reasoned out of existence.
even though parliament and the bench
Of bishops should start movement
with that object in view.-N. Y. Trib-
une.