The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-05-17
WoMEN'S STYLES CONDEMNED
ACTION OF DIOCESAN COUNCIL Is
MUCH DISCUSSED.
Certain Popular Dances. Say Clergy
men. Also Tend Co Corrupt Young
People and General Convention
VIII be Urged to Take Suitable
Action - Woman Of Fashion Says
Vogue IL Difficult of Suppression.

Charleston, May 12-Much COM
ment. especially among women. has
followed the Diocesan Councils action
"a passing resolutions that condemn
the prevailing styles in dress and in
dancing as tending Ito break down
chastity and purity" The Episcopal
clergymen are directed by the reso-
lutions TO preach on the subject be-
fore the session OF the 124th Council.
The deputies to the Triennial General
Convention I'm New York are required
to aak that body TO take suitable ac-
tion expressing It's opposition TO
modes that are not considered modest.
The resolutions were presented by the
Rev. Walter Mitchell. rector OF the
Porter Military Academy. Their text
follows:
Whereas, the prevailing style os
dress and some of the recent ways OF
dancing tend to break down chastity
and purity: therefore be 1t
Resolved. by the Council of the
Diocese OF South Carolina, That 1t is
the sense OF this Council that our
church people generally. but parents
and the clergy In particular, ought to
DO all I'm their power to improve these
conditions.
and be II further Resolved, That
the clergy be requested to preach
against them once before the meet
Ing OF the next Council.
And as these things are not Pc
culiar to our own state. but are max
ing their influence felt over all the
nation: therefore be II
Resolved. That the Bishop and
delegates To the General Convention
be requested to secure suitable action,
II possible. by that body"
According TO a woman OF fashion,
many Charleston women personally
endorse the spirit in which the Coun-
ell has made its protest. but she said
since the DEGREES OF fashion are blind
~ followed. "rhe narrow bottomed
skirt. with the slinky petticoat," she
continued. "is an abomination. wo-
men are not graceful in their move
ments when they wear some OF the
current styles My friends and have
often discussed the matter, but we
cannot stick to the old ways unless
We volunteer to retire. As a matter
OF fact. the women OF Charleston and
other South Carolina towns have not
adopted the extremes Some Of those
who want to appear up-to-the-
minute IN affairs OF dress have
displayed advance costumes, but,
taken en- masse. the women OF this
section have not gone the length OF
their sisters OF the Eastern and wes-
tern parts OF the country.
AS everybody knows, designers In
Paris and Vienna dictate the styles.
The Balkan war furnished them with
an excuse for introducing costumes
that smack OF the Near East. These
areynot pretty. They are all but
shapeless. But. TO my mind, the Bal
Nan vogue Is preferable to that which
makes general the wearing OF hob
bles and tubes and other such cos
tunes In which a woman Is not really
comfortable. Many women would
like TO get away from the styles the
Episcopal clergy are condemning, but
they can't.
AS TO the dances. Ii Is unfortunate
w true that the craze for dances that
owe their origin to resorts OF n more
or less questionable nature has spread
In this section. The wretched turkey
trot In all It's variations has invaded
Charleston ahd many nice girls pro-
iess to see no harm in the dances. So
ciety leaders have In various places
tried TO place the ban on dances of
this sort. but they haze been unable
To gain headway. IL is a tendency OF
the times and a slender body OF wo-
men can't overcome the ways OF a
great majority"
The resolutions are OF a kind with
those passed by other religious or
ganizations. the members of which
believe that present day styles and
present day dances are corrupting
manners. the danger spreading. But
resolutions. addresses and editorial
articles have not had appreciable ef
fect on the women who follow the
fashions.