Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-10-10
Downs Turkey Trot" After A Hot
Debate.

After heated argument, in which con
siderable feeling was expressed. at the re
cent State convention, the Marylan,
State WOmen's Christian Temperance
Union has gone on record as opposed t,
the slit skirt and the turkey trot"
This action was taken by the passage
of purity resolution" after heated dis
cussion and the statement by members
that questions of dress and dancing die
not come within the scope of an organi
cation that was created to stand for tenn
perance, not as a critic of social customs.
Mrs. William j. Brown is the author OF
the resolution, which, as passed, places the
organization on record as opposed to lin.
modest dressing and immoral dancing"
AS mountaineering organization
the Women's Christian Temperance Union
cannot well afford to let pass without com.
ment the dangers threatening our young
people in the immodest dressing and i'm.
moral dances of the day" said Mrs. Brown
in presenting her resolution.
But not all the other delegates agreed
81 don't see what we have to do with
such questions. nor how we. as members
of the Womens Christian Temperance
Union, could be expected to know anything
about immoral dancing or immOdest dress
ing" declared one delegate who believes
in keeping the Temperance Union for tenn
perance only.
Styles in dress and in dancing change
rapidly. Any action taken now would be
out of date within five years" another op-
pOnent of the resolution declared.
within five years" replied Mrs. Brown
and several other ladies who came to help
press the resolution, Maryland may have
prohibition and then there will be no need
for our organization going on record for
anything"
Mrs. Green. of Towson, one of the mana
gers of the Florence Crittenden Mission,
spoke for the resolution. declaring that she
could not see how such an organization
as theirs could dare do less" than 90 on
record as opposed to corrupting clothes and
dances
Mrs. Sarah T. Miller, delegate from this
county, favored the resolution. as did Miss
Rebecca T. Miller, editor of the White Rib
bon Herald. the official organ of the union.
The protest against the resolution was
based upon the fact that the Women's
Christian Temperance Union should not
dabble in the vice crusade" or divert its
strength from its one purpose of temper
ance.
individually but not as convention,
let us do what we can to create sentiment
against indecent dressing and unseemly
dancing" pleaded one earnest temperance
advocate, who feared lest the demon run"
be lost sight of if war were declared upon
dressing and dancing
IF our convention does not denounce
these things, who can you expect to do
500" queried Mrs Brown. I'VE could hardly
expect a brewers convention to pass such
resolution, could we ?"
After little more discussion in such
heated terms that one of the delegates
mildly described it as "pyrotechnic dis
play" the resolution was read.
The suggestion by the supporters of the
measure that the condemnation be made
more definite was withdrawn and the resO-
luton was passed, denouncing "immodest
dressing and immoral dancing" in toto,
without specifications as to slit skirts, pa-
nola blOuses, turkey trots," Argentine
"tangos" and such like things.
Included in the meaning of the resolu-
ton, said Mrs. Brown, who framed it,
''are all the things in the dress and diver
sions of the day that every careful mother
would condemn as pastimes or costumes
for her daughters.