The times., 1897-07-07
WOMEN MAY WEAR PANTS
Major Moore Says 1t Is Not
Against the Law.
NOT LIMITED TO SKIRTS
KHickers or Regulation
Trousers of the Prevailing Mode
Adjoining Feminine Legs Will Not
Subject yyearers to Arrest-The-
ater aud Bicycle as Emancipators.

1t is not a msdemeanor for women to
wear mems clothes or any such part OF
the manly garb as suits their fancy.
There is nothing in the law defining any
limit in the intricate matter OF what
women wear or may choose to wear,
from high theater hats and puffed sleeves
TO the color OF their stockings, and the
unlimited fancy of woman may stray IA
much toward trousers ami silk hats and
high colIars as it sees fit This is the
opinion of Major Moore. chief of police
A woman was arrested in Baltimore
a few days ago because she wore the
clothes usually know II as mems ap-
parel'
The police authorities OF Baltimore could
find no law against her action and she
was released
This incident led to an investigation of
the law i'll the District. reporter for
The Times called on Major Moore yesterday
aud received from him the following
opinion on the subject:
lit may be the general opinion he
said, that IL is a misdemeanor for one
sex 10 wear the clothes OF another, but
such is not the fact. We woGl'i not
arrest woman or man III Washington
for doing IL If nothing else were IN the
Case Sometimes men and women mas
queTade with some criminal object III
view, and in such a case we could arrest
them. but the charge would not be wear
ing unsecmly clothing.
"nr Mary Walker always wears male
Z haF
are other instances here and in other
cities. Dr. Walker, you know, goes all
over the United States and is not moleSted.
On one or two occasions she has been ar
rested 10y a policeman under the mistaken
impression that she was doing something
wong. but She has always been set free. "
Tie reporter told Ma ior Moore that there
is Il general impression that DR. Walker
obtains a permit from the police To wear
a mans suit and SILK hat, AMI that if any
one else should desire to do SO, permit
wculd be necessary in every Case.
THAT lis a mistake. A permit Is only sup
posed TO be issGed for something that would
be unla wful without permit. havene
given d. Walker or any other woman n
permit and do not believe that any of my
predecessors ever did. There has not
been woman arrested in Washington for
thirty-fiye years for wearing trousers, am
sure, ard perhaps not ever"
As an evidence of the police idea on the
subject, the performances which are f1e-
quently given at the Lyccum and other
theaters III which women don mems cloth
ing are Immediately recalled. These per
formances are never molested
Not only ale the pleasing tights seen
every week with no semblance of shirt
anywhere about, but suits cut by mems
tailors after tie prevailing modes in mems
wear are also worn OFTEN girl appears
In an evening suit and sings My Pearl or
The ROwdy-dowdy Boys" These girls
receive no frown from the police, neither
do their more pretentious sisters OF the
profession, Marie Jansen ard Julia Mar
lowe.
One fact is noticeable to any student of
these matters. Whether trousers are the
correct and the proper and the coming
apparel for women or not, they are much
more graceful on women than they ever
have been on men on the stage
Washington, the home of the bicycle and
the mecca of the reformer, is perhaps more
acutely interested in this question than
any other city. The law Of the land is not
against freedom from skirts. The other
laws which govern women in this regard
certainly are moderating gradually. Any
one may note this.
Aay evening on the Avenue may he seen
divided skirts and bloomers, with their
ACCOMPANYING show of pretty ankle and
calf. Any time may be seen white shirt
fronts and collars and cuffs and four-in-
hands and derbys. 1t seems to be too, that
the fashion in this regard advances every
season.