St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-02-26
ASSALED
BY ST. LANDRY
WRITER.
The ABomination of the Age Is
Asked to Be Abolished--''A
Cry for Reason
TO WOMEN ONLY.

~NES - G4A0 - ~ SAN
the attention Of all thinking people,
who read these words, to a few facts
that are being generally overlooked.
1t is herein charged that the intelli-
gent people of this country are ig-
noring facts which have so much
bearing on the general welfare of the
land that the negligence is little
short of criminal; if indeed it is not
a crime Of the grossest type, for it
is generally known and is yet Winked
at By the very elect Of society.
The great trust companies have
been prosecuted; the liquor traffic
has been harped on until the question
Of temperance is worn thread-bare;
the members of all churches have
discussed the great religious prob
lens that confront the land; the
writer's Of truth and fiction have
almost exhausted the imagination Of
mans mind; the workers of benevo-
lenee, commerce and science have
worn their energy down; and yet a
question as great as any Of these re-
mains almost unasked.
And who will give the answer, and
what will the answer be?
Plain dealing is the best policy,
and now, dear reader, scratch your
head and turn a few Of your rusty
brain cells over and decide what your
opinion Of the present fashion Of
"tight-lacing" is. Be honest with
yourself and then be honest with
those about you.
No sane person will deny that the
health and physical perfection Of our
race is a serious and a vital subject
for consideration.
You say, well, what has that got
to do with the present fashion of
girdling the female anatomy with
a garment that surpasses and ex-
ceeds all effort to describe it,"
Now let US reason together-is
not the destiny of the physical futur-
itY of the child in the hands of the
mother?
It is, and here is the subject boiled
down to a very small point.
The physical destiny of the nation
is in the hands of the mother, for
the mother gives to her children their
health and strength, and 'the boy is
father to the man."
It but remains for US to decide
whether or not the physical organism
of the woman is injured by the use
of stays.
It is injured; but one thing can be
done to save ourselves from a fear
full guilt, and that is to alter our
course that we are taking down the
road of fashion," and pursue some
worthier ideal.
The great silence that fills the
land when some feeble voice is raised
against this is truly astonishing, fo1
all are guilty, all are ashamed and
but few have the courage to speak.
In the pulpit, the college and the
high school: silence reigns when this
subject is approached, and the mar
who dared to lecture on the issue
would be endangering his future as q
public speaker.
There is but one way to settle a
question honestly, aud that is to be
honest in settling it, and in a case
like this it is suggested that the
opinion Of those best fitted to give
evidence is the opinion that should
be sought.
Now common sense will not allow
the theory that any ones ideas are
as good as any one else's ideas con.
corning such a matter. A lawyer, .
preacher, a eoal-heaver, miner, 3
"Dago" a merchant, a surveyor; 9
washerwoman. a cook, a stenog-
rapher, d housewife and a missionary
might be a good jury to sit on the
case. but personally speaking, the
author would prefer the opinion q
one eminent medical authority.
No one has to guess what the med.
ical world has to say about the cor.
set. A short tour Of investigation