The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-08-11
WOMEN RIDING
AsTRIDE SHOCK EN-
Confederate Veterans and Daughters
In Crusade Against "0utre and
Quasi Vulgar Fashion"

LITTLE ROCK, Aug 1.-THE
Confederate Veterans and the United
Daughters OF the Confederacy have un-
dertaken a campaign TO induce the
horsewomen OF the southland TO re-
turn to the side-saddle. The custom
OF riding astride, long frowned upon In
the south, Is steadily growing more
popular, and these organizations fear
unless IL is stopped 1t will become as
general here as IL Is throughout the
north and the west.
Gen. James F. Smith, commanding
the Arkansas division, u. c. ", Is
leading the movement. Women who
appeared on horseback in the recent
Confederate reunion parade rode side
saddles. The hoyden OF the western
plains" In not the accepted equine pat
tern for the old southland, which still
retains many OF its ancient ideas or
womanly modesty. Women riding
astride may be seen on the streets OF
Little Rock almost any day, but they
have not become so numerous as not
TO occasion remark.
Confederate veterans all over the
state are formally declaring against
the "outre and quasi-vulgar fashion,
as they call IL.
This attempt to discredit the fash
ion OF riding astride is resented by
many OF the city's best women, and
they cite the testimony of medical
authorities that IL Is much more bene-
fetal than the old way.
The resolutions which are being
adopted read:
We hereby avow our detestation
of this threatening invasion OF our
social economics and formally enter
our solemn protest against IL; and
we invoke the cooperation OF the
United Daughters OF the Confederacy
and other like organizations. and all
our pure and chaste women every
where, TO unite with us and TO place
the seal OF their condign condemna-
ton upon this and all other outre and
Quasi-yulgar fashions that are thrust
upon US from other communities, to
the end that we may as long as possi-
BILE maintain In their original purity
the traditions and customs OF our be-
loved southland"
They are preceded by this pre-
amble:
From the beginning the browning
bAOAy Va thC oO0ehAahu Aoo NtAtOANN
In the charm OF It's women, their In
born refinement. their purity, their
-blushing modesty, elements that have
enqueened them In the estimation OF
the sterner sex, and commanded at
all times from these men their utmost
respect and deferential homage; and
. We note in these later years that
there has been waited from the west
ern plains, the realm of the Indian
squaws, cowgirls and other hoydens,
an attempted innovation, the adoption
by female equestriennes OF mems sad
dies and the straddle pose on horse
back. the noisome siftings Of which
are drifting to some extent into the
southern states. despite our boasted
claim OF higher social ideas;
I'VE deem such female exploitation
wholly unfeminine and unnatural, un-
seemly and indecorous, and abomina-
bly, immodest, and directly contrary
to the proprieties as viewed by the
great mass of southern people. Be
sides, such pose IL essentially UNI
graceful and absolutely destructive OF
the beautiful picture OF the symmetri-
cal woman on horseback that we are
all so familiar with, the whole aggre-
eating a condition entirely out Of har.1
mony with the eternal fitness OF things
that We should always endeavor to-
maintain"