The record-union., 1897-11-20
A STUBBORN NUISANCE.

The San Jose Woman's Club has just
officially indorsed the proposed anti
high hat-in -the-auditorium ordinance,
drawn up by Councilman Fay All
honor to that club. But here in Sacra-
mento the high-hat nuisance is again
asserting itself.
One theatrical manager for time
requested in a programme loot note
that ladies would remove their mats
and there was general compliance
Then a few boorish and heartless Wo-
men ventured to assert themselves, ana
wear monstrosities, whereupon the po-
lite request disappeared from the mouse
programmes, and the high hat marched
on in triumph.
In San Francisco there is an ordl-
nance against the high hat in the aud
itorium. and for five consecutive
months it was observed; managers
m1blished notices of it, as required by
the law. upon the face of the house
programmes. and everybody congrat-
ulated everybody else on the delight
full change.
But here comes a San Francisco daily
newspaper in a column article announc-
ing that the notices have been removed,
the high hats have resumed dehahce
of the law and decency, and the ordl-
nance has become a dead letter. To
this there is one exception. In the Or
pheum the law is enforced, ana Wo-
men sit in that theater with hats OH,
because the manager has the courage
to insist, and respect enough Iof the
law to enforce and obey it.
But in the high-priced theaters the
ordinance is of no more effect, and the
women of the kid-gloved audiences
have returned to their vulgarity and
grossness of manner. They have re-
sumed practice that in Vienna, Berlin,
London and Paris would shut them
out of the decent theaters, or retire
them to the loft boxes, where the un-
speakable sisterhood on rare occa-
sions are permitted to sit and see the
play.
We have no hesitancy in saying that
thetwoman, be she wife, mother, sister,
ordaughter of the closest of our friends
and kin, who deliberately dons in
public assembly a hat that obstructs
the view Of any person OF either sex,
and robs that person thereby of the
pleasure and satisfaction for which he
4~cr1 n
enjoy, is boorish, unwomanly and vul-
gar.
Such women put themselves outside
the pale of respect, and deserve pre-
cisely the same treatment that a man
would receive who dared to wear his
hat in public assembly to the dis
comfort of others.
1t is sincerely to be regretted that the
women Of this city are falling back
into a practice they once so happily
abandoned But most remain loyal
TO the reform once so happily inaugu-
rated. OF these blessed ones it may bt
said. They shall see Paradise" for
they love their neighbors.
A n1emDef OF the BOARD Oh trustees
was asked months ago to introduce
here the San Francisco ordinance
against the abominable hat nuisance;
he pledged himself in writing to do so.
More than that, it was quite certain
that the board would have passed the
ordinance with practical unanimity.
The ordinance has never been intro
duced; the high-hat push" still holds
out, and the entire community,
official and otherwise is cowardly upon
its knees before the tyrant fashion,
whose waving plumes this year are
larger and tower triumphant over
broader expanse of brim than ever.
1t may not be always so. In the
coming of the millennial dawn the high
hat, along with other denominations of
a civilization they disgrace, may go;
but until then women. according to
present appearances, in too great num-
Der. viii continue striving to do the
impossible-by art improve upon ma
ture.