The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-19
WHO HAS THE BUTTON.
Notices Extended to Business and
Then to Foolishness and Vulgarity.

Those who saw the young man as be en-
tered Broadway car at Twenty-third
street and walked toward the front, where
there was vacant seat between two pretty
women, rather admired his outline, for he
had straight back, good pair of shoul-
dcrs and his tailor was evidently an artist
But when he sat down, casting sim
pering glance and lisping "scuse me" to
one of the women, those who sat opposite
10 him noticed that there was something
lacking in his face. On each Of the lapels
of his coat there was a white disk as large
as silver dollar, each inscribed with let
ters big enough to be read ten feet away.
"Does tootsie love wootsie?" one read.
"Hold me up to the light, " read the 9TH
er.
He was only one of tens of thousands OF
adult human beings In this country today
who have succumbed to the temptation TO
wear idiotic, improper and even immoral
motto buttons. The weakness is one that
has assumed alarming proportions - so
much so that officers of the law and guard
ians of the young have had to give 1t Sc
rious attention.
1t Is pretty serious business too. Who
could hope for a brilliant future for the dis
Mayor Strong one day last week and stood
before his honor with three buttons in his
jacket bearing these inscriptions:
"Hello, popP'
"Lend me your watch"
1t may be that that boy was excusable
on the ground Of extreme youth, but as
much cannot bc said for the young woman
who acts as cashier in "a Nassau street
lunchroom and the business man who stood
at her desk paying his check. Before pass
ing him his change she pointed to two
white disks fastened to her shirt waist on
which were the words:
"I'm peaches and cream"
"Ask me'-
Not to be outdone the business man
opened his coat and pointed To two disks
in the buttonholes of his vest on which
were these words.
"Say nothing-saw wood"
81 may look like Reuben, butt
Too close attention to business and in
sufficient outdoor exercise might be regard
ed as reason why that man and woman
should have developed symptoms of incipi-
ent paresis, but the same reason cannot
excuse ono of the Yale football eleven and
bicycle girl who stood together on the
field where the sons of Eli were playing
the Orange athletes last week. The foot
ball player, who was giant in size, was
exhibiting with pride to the bicycle girl
two buttons which read:
watch me tackler."
"I'm Kicker
Diving down into his pocket then, he
flshed out handful Of the motto buttons,
and she permitted him to fasten two on
her jacket:
"I'm over -
care you onp'
The craze Is one that has come into exist
ence since the opening of this campaign.
After notices for politics come notices for
business advertisements and then notices
to appeal TO the foolish or evil minded.
Some of the inscriptions on the buttons
were absolutely vile, and their exposure
was violation of law. Buttons of this
kind have pretty much all disappeared
from this city.
The school authorities havo taken hold
Of the matter. In several OF the towns and
villages OF New York the buttons have
been taken away lam the children by the
teachers under tas order of the school
trustees In st. Vincent dc Paul's aoad-
emy, Williamsburg, where 700 boys and
girls study Father Ludsko gathered che
children into the assembly room and or
dered all those who had buttons to come
forward and throw them into the waste
basket. Over 1000 buttons that IL was
considered improper for children TO wear
were taken away and burned. New York
World.