The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-02-01
" Ole Frsf -
EOomon'S MfanfrJ1

I'VE are tired or nehtlub SVu he'&
throw this up at us whenever we de-
mand the right Of suffrage 1--WE 'eHl
do military service. You assume tnat
we cannot endure military hardships'
We can do our part-that Is, the iignt-
or part Our arms and accouterments
may be Of weight proportionate 70
our physique
Such was the reply Of Mrs. susan
Armstrong to the president who IN
his next message to congress transmit-
ted the demand. An act was intro
duced creating corps OF women to
serve In such places as Mrs Arm
strong had indicated. They were to be
enrolled as infantry, though the intro
Queer of the bill disavowed any SUR
ON the women from double meaning
OF the word II they were found effec-
tive as foot soldiers corps OF cavalry
and one of artillery were TO be added.
An amendment was introduced ieav-
ing the selection OF the uniform WHIP
the women enrolled.
The first regiment OF (womens) IN
fantry was enrolled and instructed by
the secretary of war to select its uni
form, after which It's officers would Dc
appointed and its equipment furnished
by the government, Eight hundred
women met In council Mrs. Arm
strong was elected president, and the
meeting proceeded TO business. Miss
owen moved that committee be APP
pointed to design uniform. The mo-
ton was put and carried and the COM
mittee appointed by the chair. lt
was then announced that the work
had already been done. a uniform had
been selected and would be presented
to the meeting.
Miss Wrinkle, chairman Of the COM
mittee, read a description OF the uni
form. II was to be OF blue cloth.
tailor made; jacket faced with vel
low, skirt to fall three inches below
the knee, hat OF felt on wire frame
crown, inverted bell shaped, four
inches high. brim one yard In dame
ter, ostrich feathers of suitable shades
10 match
When the description had been read
the president announced that the mat
ter Of Its adoption was open to dis
cussion.
Miss skinner--I should like to ask
what sized hustle is to be used.
Miss Wrinkle-There will be no bus
tie. The uniform is to be for service.
not ornamental
Miss Skinner (sharply)-H'm! With
no hustle perhaps some Of us may dis
play figures by no means ornamental.
Mrs. Latherly-- WIN the Chairman Of
the committee please inform us Ii
there is to be a uniform hip breadth?
Miss wrinkle-The hips are TO be the
natural size
Mrs. Latherly--Mrs. President, Il the
hips are to be natural size ! would
suggest enlisting only women with
average hips. How would the rear
rank look with
The President The lady Is out Of or
der. Miss Blackmore!
Miss Blackmore-A there to be
two battalions-one OF blends, the 9TH
er OF brnnettes? Certainly the brn-
nettes cannot be expected TO wear
blue.
The President The members Of the
corps win wear the uniform as adopt
ed.
Miss Skinner should like to know.
Mrs. President, II we are to be permit
ted to make our figures respectable, or
are we to be denied all padsf
Miss wrinkle The secretary OF war
has estimated that our regiment can
not be mustered In to the military
service without a serviceable uniform.
With our accouterments there viii be
no room for padding.
Miss Ferguson Does this deprive US
of corsets7
Mrs. Mathews-I wish to say right
now IL Il does desire my name strick-
en- Off the rolls demand a corset, and
a straight front corset.
Mrs. Kellogg Mrs. President, the
lady Is talking nonsense. How would |
the straight front corset with rear pro-
tuberance look, should like to know? |
Does the lady wish something to carry |
q mess kit on?
Mrs. Mathews The vacant space IN
der the rear of the corset might be
used for cartridges. I'm not SO I'm
practical as the lady would suppose.
So there
Miss Simper ttittering)-- With the
straight front corset our corps would |
look always in the position Of charge
bayonet."
For some time the wrath OF various
members had been gaining ground,
and from this point there was a iou-
BILE class divergence. The fat women
we're ranged against the lean ones and
he brunettes against the blends. The
meeting finally broke up in confusion
ind has not since been called together
Meanwhile the secretary of war is
waiting to equip and muster in the
,orps.
This split in the matter of uniform
has greatly retarded the suffragette
'ause. which, II was hoped, the demon
'tration OF woman's ability to do milf
AIRY service would greatly assist.
Some prominent suffragettes are en-.
to discover who ii was that
Introduced the amendment TO the bill
constituting the corps which provides
hat the enrolled members should Sc
ect uniform. The gentleman Will
lot acknowledge himself as its pro
loser. nor viii the members tell on
lin.