The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-06
ENGLISHMAN'S CLOTHES.
Dressing for Dinner and National
Chara

Characters.
London Correspondence New York
Sun.
The contention of the man who
makes the frequent changing of
clothes a religiously observed ritual is
something like this: Neither fashion.
in the accepted sense of the word, nor
personal vanity has anything to do
with it. The great master Of Trinity
College, Cambridge. DR.. Thompson,
was blamed by an envious one for
"devoting what time he could spare
from the neglect of his duties to the
adjournment of his person." This was
putting the case against changing in
the sourest terms. The master of
Trinity was probably a saner man
than his grabbed critic. The justifica-
ton of his proceedings lay in their
wholesome effect on his physical and
nervous system. Like the generality
of his kind, he had to keep that sys-
tenn in hand. The mere breaks in his
day occupied In the process of chang
ing-the half hour or less taken to
dress for dinner-the exponent of the
system declares are all to the good.
He puts any of his days business
concerns aside with his days business
clothes. In fresh attire he has a fresh
outlook. As a tonic to his skin he
finds nothing better than to get out
of one set of underwear into another
1t points to phenomenon that some
times puzzles the onlooker as Justify
ing his system.
There is the rule that every broker
on the London Stock Exchange must
wear silk hat and that every bar
rister practicing in the courts must
appear in black coat and waistcoat.
The new broker who enters the ex-
change in other headgear will find it
wreck in a very few seconds, and
the novice at the bar who gets up to
address the judge In a white waist
coat or a gray suit has been known
to get this adm0nition from the bench.
Il cannot hear you in that dress, ="
snd the client has to suffer until his
lawyer dons the regulation garb. The
rule is as firmly established as the
clergyman's black broadcloth and
plain white neckband. The wearing
of similar clothes in transacting SINH
lar business by those who alone are
legally entitled to do it-be II dealing
in stocks or arguing law cases-brings
those concerned, says this dress phi
losopher, on correct professional
platform. 1t brings them eye to eye
in regard for each other and for the
business in hand. AS one who is an
enthusiast, besides a thinker, he main
tains that all the vaunted Anglo
Saxon greatness is founded on the sa-
gacious instinct for repeatedly chang
ing clothes. He will himself analyze
the matter in his private smoking
room, having not only dressed for din
ner earlier in the evening, but put
aside his black tail for dandy ma
room smoking Jacket. II Is the apoth-
costs of the cult
All this has very direct bearing on
England's terrible fiscal problem. 1t
has not been handled so far--it would
be heartless to turn q fresh phase of
their troubles before a distracted pub
lie. It is a circumstance that should
give great aid and comfort to the dry
goods business. The more clothes
everybody buys and wears. even
when very poor, the greater will ma
tion become. No need to put tariff
barriers against foreign imports, in
the interest of fuller employment for
the workingman here. Just everybody
buy lots Of suits. change them often