Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-01-11
lThe Clothes That Women Wear

i VI
Interest along two or three lines Of thought. Al;
though the signature IL In feminine form, y WI
be dlfacult for most people to believe tnat
woman wrote It.
Sir-I simply cannot resist any longer
the temptation to write q few words
about women's suffrage. So many 9th.
ers. both men and women, have area
their views, so why not II
| / confess I have always had the feeling
that my sex are unfairly treated In being
clsssed legally with imbeciles and CHINA
men. especially when / have also been
able to note how many men vote who
have not half the brains some women
have.
Moreover, it has seemed to me unjust
that /, for instance, owning quite oit OF
real estate, both country and city, should
paw all kinds of taxes that are demanded
of me, and my hired men at the farm or
servants In the house can have voice IN
the very things that l help to pay for
and that they do not.
| I have not been unable to smother the
vain impression that l, who hold several
degrees from European colleges, speak
several languages, have travelled much,
and who read fairly deeply, am better
fitted to vote intelligently than the aver.
age male voter; for you must admit that
the average voter has not such education
or experience, has he?
Although | have thought all this, l
have never allied myself with any of the
suffrage associations that are at present
so prominently in the public eye, BE-
cause 1t has seemed to me that tne
actions of the women belonging to these
societies were doing their cause more
harm than good Besides, | lived long
enough in France to know that to Kill a
thing one has but to ridicule it; and how
the world has laughed over those English
gu ffragettes who chained themselves to
the grillwork in the House Of Parlia.
ment and who clawed and scratched
policemen! :,
And therefore, after thinking 1t all
over many time and again, l think l
know why men pay no attention to the
demand of women for the right OF
suffrage. How can one expect women to
be reasonable beings after seeing the
clothing they will wear within the next
three monthsP For two years my sex
have disported themselves in clinging
garments that precluded the wearing OF
adequate underclothes to protect the
body from cold in winter or even from
mosquitoes in summer, the tightest OF
shoes, highest of heels, thinnest OF hose,
practically decollette in the street OF
anywhere, or else boned choker that
stuck ones head to the skies; huge hats
resting on mountains of false hair and
mannerisms copied from cocottes. To
get thin, fat women have starved, e1er.
cised, rolled around the floor-done any
old thing just to get thin-and the aver
age woman of fashion has no shape at
all, is only bean-pole, and as pale as
ghost. So much for the past-but just
wait for next season!
We are to have perfectly f1ar garments,
untrimmed to the knees, our hair is to
be uncurled or puffed-simply dragged
around our heads, or wrapped" as 1t is
termed. Over this we will presumably
adorn ourselves with Cossack head.
dress foot and half high, that reaches
our shoulders on the sides and behind,
and is tipped up just enough in front ia
peek out from underneath. Our muffs
will be as large and the shape of a bed
pillow II really am not joking; just 60
and see for yourself), and to make
things still more of change all sleeves
are short again and nothing buttons
down the back any more. This last ia
the only sane thing in the lot.
Now, although am woman myself,
and admit to having suffragette tenden'
cies, I cannot help but admit that SO
long as my sex can be such utter blither'
| ing i'm beetles as to make scarecrOws oil
themselves year after year at the blind
dictates of clothing spectators, just sc
long are they only fit to be treated as nc
better than bands of sheep led by any
old bell-wether.
Am hard on my sex, Mr.. Editor, OF
am rightP Now, don't misunderstand
me. / am no women's reform crank
not bit of it, sir; dearly love every.
thing pretty, and am~just as feminine
as think any woman should be.
like nice tailor gowns for the street
and 1 want pretty, dainty shirt waists
and all the other lingerie things suitable
to well-dressed woman. 1 love pretty
house gowns and also admit to laces and
spangles for opera or balls, but DOM
want them made in an absurd and i'm
practical manner, and l do not see why 9
certain standard of style should not re-
main an accepted fact as 1t is with mems
things. And let us have certain milo
chances, too, to suit all tastes and styles;
but for Heavens sake, why do all womer
have to follow an order set forth by the
Dressmakers' union or trust solely so as
to promote large profits for them and
more extravaganza for US?
Please excuse my bad tipping; have
become excited and my thoughts outrar
my fingers. But to return to my start
| ing point. Is it not a bit hard that the
exception has to suffer for the ruler II
it not equally as unjust to let all mer
vote, too2 -.
After all, there are fools in bott
aaxaa am cir ANQNYME.