Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-07
BEER AND BICYCLES.
One Correspondent Thinks There II
No Connection Between the Two.

No Connection Between the Two.
10 the Editor Of The Evening Star:
As to the great question Of Beer and
Bicycles" I cannot see any connection be-
tween the two, except one of ALTERATION in
the words themselves People can and do just
as easily go to beer gardens in street cars as
on bicycles. Why not accuse street cars of
being the cause of beer guzzling? see no
reason for considering beer and bicycles to-
gether, but as the subjects have been
brought up I would like to discuss them
beth separately.
Prohibitionists have seized upon this op-
portunity to preach their peculiar doctrines,
but see no reason why the sensible thou
SANDS who can drink in moderation should
pc deprived of their beer because a few
fools cannot or will not control themselves.
EVERY one Is free to take it or let it alone,
ard the government has no right to assume
q guardianship Of that kind by sumptuacy
laws. Ladies do not make themselves con-
splcuoCs In beer gardens or other promis-
cuous assembiages; but any lady with
chaperon may, with perfect propriety, enzer
beer garden and drink quietly and in
moderation.
Some Of your correspondents have ex-
pressed some very advanced" ideas as TO
the equality of the sexes 1 believe the
Time will never come when the public at
large will not demand and expect a higher
Standard OF morality and good breeding
reasons for it, too. We cannot now discuss
those reasons, but they are apparent to all
persons of good common sense 1 hope
mat women will always be better than
men. II Is useless to expect equality in
tnat respect, and no one wants to see the
standard for women lowered. Men will
certainly not reach that high level occupied
by women until the millennium and the
iridescent dream" Of international bimetal-
iism and other truly good things are real
lzed. 1t Is useless TO talk about the rights
CT women to go wherever men go and all
that sort of bosh. Who would like to see a
bevy of young ladies dn boomers for in
stance) standing around hotel smoking
cigars or cigarettes and talking politics?
Yet men may do such things with perfect
propriety.
do not think that the use of the bicvcle
ny ladies' has any tendency whatever to
immortality; but, for other reasons the
practlce Is Objectionable. Judging from
my own experience. l know that bicyclist
o1ten becomes overheated by the violent
exercise and easily takes cold Excessive
exertion is also hurtful in other respects.
Inc ladys wheel was invented about ten
years ago. Why is it that ladies only re-
Gently commenced to ride to any extent?
IT Is because Miss Vanderbilt and the
frlncess OF Wales and other goddesses of
lashlon set the example. When plutocracy
ana aristocracy get tired Of "bikngp their
servile ilnitators will drop the wheel: and
then the ladies will wonder how they could
nave nave bcen induced to don the hideous
ana assume the Lngraceful attitudes in
separable from hiking" No Fashionable
1ad Is too fantastic or unbecoming for
adoption by the common herd of initators
who always allow others to do their think
ing Tor them. Witness the hideous mon
strosity of big sleeves for instance Every
year enough material is wasted in that an-
surd way to clothe all the poor women in
the world. 1t is useless to argue the mat
yer, however Most any woman would
rather be dead than out of style
But whimsical (and expensive, to0 as
the women are. We love them just as they
are. at least each one of us loves one of
tnem (only one, of course). We would not
nave them different, because they might
then be politicians and social agitators
and from such all men pray for deliver
ance. THOMAS w. GILMER.
Reply to Mrs. Ravens.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Your Saturday evening correspondent,
Ruth G. d. Hayens writes in i kind of
race-horse style. She probably elds in the
same impetuouS way. Thus, at times, she
is led grossly to misrepresent others. l am
sure she Is quite innocent of wrong intent.
1t is but her way. Her intensity In a
good cause simply bears her forward
more rapidly than she knows.
What published word in the letter of
the 'well-known minister''-editor's words,
not the ministers-gave her a right to
thinks an innocent baby inherits a great
er lifelong shame from a seduced mother
than seducing father" He said no such
thing. AS fact he holds no sucn opinion
He holds that seducing man is as bad
as such woman, and that seduced man.
SO far as morality goes, is On the same
plane as seduced woman. In the eyes OF
God there is moral difference There
should be none in the estimate of society,"
He was simply giving an incident to IL
llstrate what had been the theme of sew
eral published letters, viz, the influence of
beer drinking and Of beer garden associa-
tiCn en- young women. The death CT the
child saved thus from lifelong shame"
was an actual item in an actual case;
hence, was mentioned. Had the father in
this case, descended to a life of notorious
crime instead of the mother the little ones
death would have been none the less a
good release. This lady SHOULD surely be
more careful. Such blunGers hurt her own
good cause.
There are several other "race-horse" as
! sertions in her letter, but l pass them.
The name of the writer was given the
editor. His well-known initials were also
appended for publication. The editor
chose the form Of the same.
GEO. V. LEIGH.
An Anti-FemaIc Bicycle League.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
1 have read with deep interest the various
communications in regard to beer drinking
by lady bicyclists, and sincerely hope that
much good may result therefrom. Now the
discussion has drifted more or less from
the cause of the evil to the propriety of
public beer drinking, and 1 am DESTROYS of
having the cause more fully treated. Suf-
flee 1t to say do not believe a gentleman
will take a lady he respects to beer gar
den, in this city at least. The question
then that arises in my mind is: Have gen
tlemen less respect for the girl who rides
| wheel than for one who does not? l
have always been bitterly opposed to girls
riding bicycles, and the short skirts and
threatened boomers have only added to
my opposition. Pure, noble, modest wo-
| man Is Gods masterpiece and mans Ideal;
nothing else In nature can compare with
her in this state, and man looks I'D to and
respects her. Let her fall one step from
this high position and man no longer looks
up to her, but he looks down upon her tot
terlng form. Does woman on a bcycle
with short skirt OF boomers, pedaling
along through our streets, occupy that no
sition? Does man any longer look up 10
this undignified creature? Young ladies
should think well before taking to the
wheel. with its many alluring and degrai-
ing influences. 1 have talked with some
of my friends with reference to the forma-
ton of an 'Anti-Female Bicycle League"
and the tine now seems ripe for such an
organiza ton. PHYSICIAN
Hope Councils Entertainment.