The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-10-17
THE DEMOCRACY or DRESS

EOn&C Va tAh0 az - R~@N
state are reprinting the following ar.
ticle from Youths Companion. some
with and some without credit:
We live In a country that Is ded-
icated to the proposition that all men
and all women-are created equal.
That Is a priceless privilege. bur II
has its disadvantages. Among them
is the fact that even when We are
not really equal to same one else. we
try to appear so, and the further from
equality we are, the harder we strug-
gle. In nothing Is the struggle more
manifest than in the matter OF dress.
With men that Is not of much impor-
lance, but with women II Is more Sc.
rious.
| In other times and other countries
every one had a station in life. and
dressed to fit it. The colrtier's wife
had her garb, the merchants hers
the country matron hers: and the
peasant girl vas known as such Dy
her costume, often more piGUant and
charming than the great iady's, br.
quite unlike ii.
| Here in America the wife OF IN
millionaire and the wife OF the cleri.
1.-THE shop-girl and the maid servant all
wear the same type OF hat. skirt. CLOAK
and shoes-and the maid would very
much like to be taken for the woman
OF millions II is an expensive Gus
tom. and 1t daily augments the cost
! of living for the distracted husband
and father.
| It is also an inappropriate custom
Women who ride everywhere in mo-
tor cars can wear very different sarb
| from women who must walk the mud
| dy streets. Women who have maids
to care for their garments and TO ad-
just them can wear very different
gowns from women who must look
after their own wardrobe. and nave
to dress themselves in a hurry.
Moreover, the custom sometimes
leads to a ridiculous incongruity be-
tween woman's appearance al home
and abroad. A woman who looks like
a slattern in her kitchen may look
like a princess in the street; and one
who spends money lavishly for
gowns to wear in her neighbours par
Tor is likely TO think that is a reason
why she cannot afford 10 look neat
and tidy at the family breakfast-ta.
BILE.
There is no other remedy for this
than the wisdom that time brings.
Meanwhile let us ALL men and women
and boys and girls. remember that
speech and manners, which cost moth
ing, go infinitely further than costli
ness cf dress toward proving our
equality with the Especially
when dress. only serves TO emphasize
inequality of speech and manners.
AS costly as the democracy OF
dress" is. we had rather have II so
than to have ones station in life ad-
vertised by his or her costume.
To condemn one to a certain style
of dress is a discrimination and a.
class distinction that we are glad is
not tolerated in this country for an
instant, and as long as We breathe
the atmosphere of freedom we have
faith to believe that II will never be-
come custom amongst us.
God forbid!
We want no class distinctions in
pCiPCfuoA
of one class to station because OF
the misfortune of poverty or other
causes, and have that station recog-
nized by his or her costume, the same
as a convict is known by his stripes.
I No. no! That will never do in
land where the declaration of indie
pendence holds sway.
Once one drinks at the fount OF
freedom one can never consent TO be
consigned to a fixed and iniexible sta
ton in life that bids adieu TO ambi-
tion-that subtle incentive-that
causes one TO scale the heights that
lead to higher If not to better things.
We want no peasants and no peas
ants costumes in America.
We are glad that there is "democ'
racy in dress" here, as there is a dem
ocracy in everything else.
In the race of life We want no stum-
bling books, but an open road and
fair and equal chance for ALL
f~I