The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-23
Spirit of the Press.
The Midsummer Madness of Swelter-
ing Man.
New York American.

! New York American.
Man, and particularly the New York
man, in weather like this, is a long
suffering animal. who deserves to suf-
| fer because his suffering is due to his
own folly. Even in midsummer he is
| mad about his clothes.
With the thermometer at 104 the
/ average New York man goes about
enveloped above his waist in a wooden
coat, usually heavy and lined, but
which, however light, is still unneces-
sary and heating.
Some years ago Rudyard Kipling,
| then summering in New York, conf
planned to the writer of this article
about the provincialism and narrow
prejudice in matters of dress of the
average New Yorker. 1T was broiling
hot Yesterday" said he, "and l got
out one of my old East Indian suits of
white linen and a pith helmet, exactly
the raiment most suitable for the day.
But / couldn't walk square without
everybody turning to look after me as
if | had escaped from museum while
the small boys hooted me as | passe r.
So | went back to my rooms, donned
wooden suit which would have been
just the thing for d nice frosty day,
and went out again to find myself in
accord with the best taste of the me-
tropolis. In London a man can wear
what he pleaSeS and what the weather
demands In New York you must
wear what is demanded by the canons
of taste in Oshkosh or Kalamazoo.
White linen is little known in those
towns"
Mr.. Kipling was right. 1t took A
long and hard fight to make the neg
Iigee shirt tolerable with our squeam-
ish populace, and even now it is ac-
cepted only under certain conditions.
1t must be provided with those hot
weather denominations, Starched collar
and cuffs, and, above all, in all public
places must be covered with an un-
necessary and burdensome coat. The
latter proviso is supposed to be our
of Difference to the delicacy of the
American woman.
And yet this American woman her
self, modest and shrinking as we insist
her nature is, invades the most public
places not merely in shirtwaists, but in
waists of such diaphanous quality and
reinforced by so little underneath that
they have come to bear the pleasing
name "peek-a- boo waists" The pleas
ing pink of pretty shoulders, and a
very considerable area below the
| shoulders, is frankly displayed for the
delectation of man, who meanwhile
must beware lest he be seen on the
street or in a restaurant in a negligee
shirt which betrays nothing.
Surely it is time for a new declara-
ton of independence. If lovely women
prefer their men parboiled it should
be the part of the victims to make a
death struggle before yielding all. If
| this were but Chicago or Kansas we
could submit the matter to referen-
dunn vote, but that excellent populistlc
device is not at the command of New
Workers. Perhaps it might be we'll to
make a test case in the courts. Let
| the next man who is requested in, a
restaurant to put on his coat rebel,
suffer (if necessary the ignomlny or
election, and then take the case to the
| courts. If the United State Supreme
| Court would only sit in Washington
during Summer it ought to be easy to
get a favorable decision from swelter-
| ing justices in frock coats and bsWck
| gowns