The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-29
DRINK AND THE PERFECT LADY

From the Louisville Courier journal.
JUDGE VAN FLEET, in sentencing
Diggs and Caminetti, says that theirs
- was "a crime of opportunity in
that the laxity of social conditions and
the lack of parental control made it pos
sible. He adds that the "paralyzing infiu-
ence of drink in its effect upon the
morals of the young girls in the case has
been made apparent and that the de-
basing influence of the saloon and road
house is too disgustingly apparent.
make the obsedvation here that society
must pay the price for permitting the ex-
istence of these places
Society will, of course, pay the price.
and continue to permit the debasing infiu-
ence to exist, for society is made up of
many units, and there is never very
strong public opinion in favor of the pro-
curement of higher morality by both en-
acting and enforcing legislation looking
to the elimination of temptation. There is,
of course, frequently majority for the
enactment OF highly moral legislation, but
there the matter stops. This being true
II is up to the family to keep it's house
in order or participate in the payment
of the price.
Some 80 years ago the late Bill Nye,
decidedly and undeniably a humorist, al
though not a producer of literature, made
his readers laugh uproariously by describ-
ing woman as "a perfect lady, but
trifle drunk" The juice of the jest.
need it be said, lay in the fact that al
though the rather inconsistent expression,
"a perfect gentleman, but trifle drunk,
was occasionally heard the Inconsistency
became glaring when the same descrip-
tion was applied to woman. In those
days there were, of course, women of
social standing who indulged in the social
glass at social gatherings. But the wom-
an who was popularity regarded or who
regarded herself "a perfect lady, did
not drink intoxicants in restaurants or at
roadhouses.
There is, of course a social convention
against the unchaperoned American girl
spending evenings automobiling with a
young man. and visiting public eating and
drinking places. The convention exists
without much regard to social caste. But
oial life in America knows how generally
it is dsregarded even in what are called
conventional circles. The popular idea is
that the American girls sense of re-
sponsibility has been so well developed
that chaperonage in this country is un-
necessary. The complacent observation
that the American girl does not have to
be kept under the eye of chaperone is
common in America. The cynical French
mans often heard reply is that If Amer
lean parents could see their daughters
running at large in Europe. and appear
ing unconcernedy in places where French
women of good character would not be
seen, they might feel less complacent.
Both at home and abroad American
girls allow themselves. and are virtually
allowed by parents, latitude in the Sc
lection of their diversions that is quite
surprising to the European. The increas-
ing popularity of the social glass, which
is the inevitable result of our social sys-
tenn, constitutes debasing influence that
must be admitted even if it may not be
eliminated.
Twenty years ago in modish circles,
where the example is always set for
|the less modish and pretty consistently
followed, men did not smoke in the pres
ence of ladies' without permission, and
did not ask permission to enliven an even
ing in the drawing room by smoking.
Nowadays, in what is called smart So
dety in the larger centers of popula-
tion, the young man doesn't ask to be
permitted to smoke, but asks the young,
woman if she will join him, and frequently
the invitation is accepted. The same feel
ing of good comradeship exists rather
widely about the highball or cocktail.
Under our boasted system of training girls
SO that the chaperone becomes an obso-
lete institution, the tete-a-tete drink at
restaurant, rathskeller or roadhouse
seems quite possible" to the American
girl of social standing. Convention is
against the tete-a-tete in public place
more than against the social glass, but
che lesson that chaperonage is mere form