The news & observer., 1905-12-13
MACON AS AN EXAMPLE AND
SIMPSON AS A WARNING IN
DRESS.


of the custom, they have ever re-
manned a wonder. 1t is doubtless
true that the clothes do not make
the man, but they frequently make
him conspicuous Whether Or not, in
arbitrarily setting him apart from his
fellows. they do not so far detract
from his own personality as to make
him less useful and. thereby, less of
man is an open question. At any
rate. some clothes are a sine qua non
which fashion has never yet dared to
decree against. so that as much as
one may be inclined to rail at ques-
tions of dress as futile discussions,
the problem is likely to remain a
virile one
Just now Washington City is throw
ing a mild spasm over the attire of
South Carolina Congressman who
dresses in old-fashioned homespun
jeans, which has sufficed to win him
a prominent place in the capital of the
nation and to get his name Well
mixed with good reading matter In
the papers. Says a Washington dis
patch:
congressman Wyatt Aiken of
South Carolina, is about as fine a
speciman of physical manhood as
there is in the House. He is fully
six feet tall and weighs 240 pounds
When he was sworn in q few days
ago along with the other South Car
olina members he wore a home
made jeans suit, and he continues to
wear it. The suit has attracted much
attention among the fellow members
of the South Carolinian, who have
not seen anything like it for sale In
the tailor shops.
1.-The cloth for this suit was woven
by a good old lady friend of mine in
Oconee County, South Carolina said
Representative Aiken. The weaving
of cloth of this kind is a rare thing
now, and | suppose it is equally as
rare to see a man with suit of it
on in Washington or in the cities of
the country. / am proud of it.
though. 1t may not look quite as
stylish as some of the imported goods,
but it is by no means unattractive In
appearance. Every thread of it was
woven on an d-fashioned weaving
machine, now SO rare as to be seldom
seen, even in eXpositions. My good
lady friend believes that l should
have something warm to cover my
frame when l come to Washington,
and she takes great pains to weave the
cloth for me. l then have it made
into a suit.
THE cloth is dark gray. and
Representative Aiken has had so
many questions asked about it by his
fellow Congressman and so many
men have expressed q desire for
something like it that he has prom
ised two or three of his best friends
to see what he can do toward getting
them something of the same material.
1.-THE South Carolinian has set a
fashion in the House that promises
to extend if it is possible for the
members TO procure the goods"
Representative Aiken does not take
the same view of the matter of clothes
as that held by the great North Car
Gilman. Nathaniel Macon, during his
term in congress. While in North Car
olina Macon is said to have dressed
like the ordinary farmers of his coun-
ty in the grey jeans such as Repre-
sentative Aiken is now displaying In
Washington. There was nothing
about his attire when at home to in
dicate either his Importance as a man
or the office he filled. He was
plain specimen of the pople. both in
dress and manner. But at Washing
ton, Mr.. Macon wore the finest
clothes which could be obtained. not
ultra fashionable garments, but attire
built out of the best material and In
every way conforming to the stand
ards then in vogue for the dress of
statesmen and gentlemen. On one
occasion a friend called his attention
to the disparity of his Washington
ing that the change was made for
demagogical reasons. But Mr..
Macon's explanation was entirely
satisfactory. When he was at home,
he said. he was not on official bus-
ness, he was in reality merely a North
Carolinian. He was in every way one
of the people, a farmer dwelling In
an agricultural community. Where
fore, he felt that it was proper for
him to dress in the same fashion as
was no affectation about it either way.
At home he was. q farmer. in Wash
ington a representative of the peo-
pie. In North Carolina he wore
jeans, because that was what other
people wore. while in Washington. he
put on broadcloth because that was
the proper dress, according to the
prevailing standards in that city fo:
members of Congress.
In other words, Macon's philosophy
of dress was that it should be such as
was proper in ones class, and that it
should be worn not to distinguish IA
man. but to keep him from being per-
sonally conspicuous.
However much Mr. Aiken may re-
joice in the sensation and envy he
has created, there seems to be a great
deal in the way Nathaniel Macon look
ed at the question Of dress. When
man comes to be distinguishable
for his clothes. he is on dangerous
ground. The willingness to be un
usual in dress is very apt to signify a