The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-26
LADIES' TROUSERS.
The Law as to When 1t Is LawfuEShnd
Unlawful to Wear EN-.

Unlawful to Wear EN-.
London Telegraph.
Seldom, indeed, are the jurors serving on
Quarter Sessions called upon to decide so
dehcate a question as that which Will en-
gage them at Kingston, when NiscounteSS
Harberton's action against Mrs. NJ. j..
Sprague, landlady Of an Ockham hotel,
comes before them. The grand jury yes
terday returned a true bill against Mrs.
Sprague, but as the indictment was pre-
ferred without notice to the defendant the
case will not be heard until the April SeS-
%sions.- The facts of the case are simple
enough, and concern the refusal of the inn
keeper to serve a lady cyclist who arrived
at her hosiery IN what is known as IA
tional attire" Lady Harberton herself,
when called upon yesterday, said that until
the issue was settled she should prefer to
make no comments on the points it would
raise, and while the case is still sub JUDGE
1t Is, of course, quite impossible to express
however, there are one or two items Of in
terest suggested by such a case as this bids
fair to be, and the first is the practically
absolute liberty of the subject where dress
is concerned.
A glance through any of those useful
handbooks which explain the law in COM
citizen in his or her daily life, whether
from burglary to bankruptcy, from bills of
sale to cruelty to children, have never a
section to devote to dress. 1t would ap-
pear, in fact, that directly the elemental
conditions of covering and warmth are full
filled, the pattern, color and texture Of
our raiment rest entirely upon our indi-
vidual Judgment. Never has the English
Legislature attempted to deal with the sub
Ject since 1853, when King Edward ~ de-
sired to regulate the dress for all ranks,
on the ground that the Commons of the
realm, as well men as women, wear ex-
ceSStVe and inordinate apparel to the great
displeasure OF God, the enriching of strange
realms. and the destruction Of this realm
Even in austere Scotland the last effort of
this kind dates as far back as 1921. 1t may
be emembered that a few years ago there
was a movement in favor Of ladies riding
astride, and it was rumored at that time
that two daring AmazonS intended to APP
pear thus in the Row. A shocked supporter
of Mrs. Grundy consulted an eminent bar
rister, now a Q. c., on their right to do so,
and attire went, they would in no wa
transgress the law. The only risk they
would run would be that of drawing upon
their heels an unruly mob, IN which case
they might be charged with being "disor-
derby persons, who caused a crowd to as
semble."
On the other hand, there are few things
on which the law is so precise or definite as
the compulsory obligations Of an innkeeper
to accept all corners as guests, provided that
they tender or appear reasonably able to
pay the usual scale of charges. Supposing
even that a chimney sweep applied for a
meal and drink at a first-class hotel, it is
open to the landlord to suggest that his visi-
tor might find accommodation more suited
to his requirements at a humber tavern,
but If the sweep can show reasonable juStiti-
cation for perSisting in remaining, he can do
so. The only exceptions that the law per-
mits an innkeeper to exercise are when a
person is drunk. disorderly, or suffering from
IN infectious disease. BY taking up this
question as a test case Lady Harberton and
her co-workers in the rational dress move
ment will be doing a particularly useful SER
vice if they succeed in defining the ex-
tent to which any caterer, either of food or
amusement, has the right to dictate what
attire the persons who are paying him shall
wear upon his premises. 1t is not long since
the nursing world was hurt and annoyed at
the objections raised at a fashionable West
End restaurant to the presence of a nurse in
her ordinary uniform, who, paying a. flying
visit on her way through London,
If the matinee hat could have
been suppressed by compulsion, it is certain
that managers would gladly lave done it;
but they knew well enough that they could
only appeal to the kindness and good feel
ing of their lady patrons, and would be
unable to uphold at law any rule they
might make on the subject. Why, then.
should i~nnkeepers and smart reStaura-
tours be allowed to insult customers or de-
eide what clothes their visitors shall wear
while eating the meals they pay for? What
ever views one may have as to the aesthetic
asgect OF RATIONAL dress, 1t is certainly not
way in which it's wearer could fall under
the classification of "disorderly." unless
there should be any Justifying circumstance
This is not the first time that ladies have
been refused admission to licensed premise
and at a meeting of the Women's Interna-
tional Progressive Union, held about this
time laSI year, Mile. I1SSOt, in the course
of a bright and witty little speech. described
her experiences at q well-knOWn suburban
hotel, and another in the provinces. when
habited in boomers, before English ladies'
had taken to cycling at all. In each in
stance the innkeepers had declined to let
her enter with her brother and another gen
tleman. Other hotel keepers. however. have
not manifested any prejudice of this sort.
and the greatest gathering that has been
seen in this country Of ladies in the distinct
i've habiliments of emancipation, which met |
at oxford in September, 1897. found it's head
at the celebrated Clarendon Hotel |
Itself. OF that historic occasion Soma
seven separate clubs existing for the adyo-
cacy Of the costume were represented nv
upward of forty members, who We're to dine
together in the evening, and SO strict was
the rule as to the wearing of the bifurcated
that a lady who had gone down
as the representative of a great morning
paper was not permitted to join the marty
till she had borrowed and assumed the
requisite attire. But. so far from being re-
garded as "disorderly persons" in that l
famous seat Of learning. both the host and
hostess took the utmost pains to render the !
dinner a success. even to the preparations ~
special soups and purees for the few who
happened also to be stanch vegetarians
Nor did any Of these ladies', who chiefly
came down by way of Slough. Maidenhaad
and Henley. find anv difficulty in obtainin1
or other refreshment on the way.