The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-23
SYMPOSIUM ON THE Plug HAT.
Poet, Statesmen and Scholars All
Give Their Views.


London Gable in New York Press.
That remorseless tyrant, the high hat
has been celebrating. L is just 100 years
man wore him on the Strand A mob
gathered around the man and gave him
a black eye. In the morning his friends
had to give $500 bail for the privilege
of reminding him outside of jail of their
previous warnings that no man could go
on the street with such hideous thing
on his head and expect to keep out or the
clutches of the law. The high hat has
been abused kicked and brushed the
wrong way ever since then, and even now
artistic Europe is engaged In crusade
against Il, while those who swear hardest
at IL continue to wear 1t.
In London. save laborers, all men wear
4 certain style of stovepipe is also worn
by the ancients. never saw but one like
&c in the United States. That belonged to
De Lancey Nicoll. Where he got IL don't
know. But he must have found 1t or else
II found him. He used TO wear 1t down 70
the district attorneys office in the old
Tammany days, on mornings when he felt
40 years old-neVer at any other time.
Perchance 1t was the ghost of departed
ancestor, for otherwise De Lancey was al
ways dressed in style. He deserved credit
however, for doing something IN behah
of the countrys originality, credit TO be
shared by Augustin Days famous hat
In America the headgear of De Lancey
and Augustine is distinguished. IN Lon
don IL would be only one OF thousands. me
equal of Dc Lancey's stovepipe Is 20 be
found on the head of any aged solicitor.
AS for Augustine, 1t Is comparatively "a
la mode" A London business man seldom
wears a derby hat, and usually goes 10
business in a frock coat. The prince does
not care for high hat and often wears a
or on the tailors part has been able 10
shake the faith of the Briton in IL. The
same is true Of modern dress.
The prince wore q colored Waistcoat
with evening dress some years ago. A
few copied 1t, but it died an early death.
An endeaVor was made to have the prince
but he drew line there on account OF MS
badly shaped calves. The nobility is far
from wanting any change in modern dress
in the way of color and display. They are
pleased to wear frock coats and dress most
careessy IT. does not point them dent OUT ds 20
no better than my young man. says Ar
riet; Just see 'ow plain e isl'' This makes
the mass of people think that the duke -
a fine democrat and helps the duke 70 re-
tain his privileges, while he isn't bothered
with questions OF taste. -
Over in Paris the Figaro has been gath
ering the opinions of famous men on the
high hat and modern dress and possible
reforms. OF course lola is on hand with
an opinion. when l was young, ne
saws. land full of romantic and poetic en-
thusiasm / greatly regretted the dying
out of gay colored doublets and large plum
ed hats To-day l have no ambition IN
that direction Cola is round as pump
kim, and leave TO youth dreams OF brill
liant Dlumage." .o...o.o
academician, dramatic CRITICAL sorts OF
n man. fArd modern dress likewisel re-
is 1T " v,Ii Simply say" says Puvs de Cha
vannes, who goes about In an old brown
coat, that independently OF my incompe-
tence to speak on this question, am LAP, app
have no longer need to dress me at all that
am quite indifferent to whatever fashion
.aThe nigh hat does not fulfil single
condition that "A practical and agreeable
headdress should fulfill, says Gustave Lar
roumet. 1T protects neither against tho
sun nor the rain. 10 Is very perishable."
Gustave doesn't know that London clerk +.
who wore his hat for twenty-five years,
and then passed II on to his son.
Jolly Jules Claretie, director of the Com
edie Franchise, says he could write vol
ume about the high hat-this wonderful;
man could write a book on anythng-but
he will not. ut Is ugly, inconvenient
heavy, headachy. The artist who will
grand medal at the exposition of 1900. How
ever Il has character. The frock coat OF
Berth. painted by lngres, is admirable
aud we must not forget that 20 IDiderot'--
there Is your Claretie, who knows every
thing and Is convinced OF nothing. In full
costumes of the eighteenth
century, which are so delightful to u.s.
were hideous and unpicturesque."
'erhe world will pass away, but not the
high hat" means Stephane Mallarme, the
poet. probably 1t will exist throughout
an time, even In an invisible state To-
day. however, no one can pass Il without
Modern dress" says Henri de Regnler.
''ls composed chiefly OF the high hat. the
black coat and the ribbon OF the Legion OF
Honor. and i will applaud any one who
Will modify "a and give us something
pleasant 20 look upon, on condition that
ne borrows nothing from the ancient
apective and imposes on US neither the
headdress Of the Toquet Of the last OF the
Naiois the thrce-corncred hat Of the
Bourbons the hood OF Etienne Marcel nor
Napoleon's hat. / would rather accent the
wiz OF which we often have need. I might
n mo NAnr AL
have spoken my thought" Evidently any
old thing will please Henri.
The writer on the Figaro who obtained
the symposium concludes with Mamarme
that the world will pass away-but not the
high hat.