The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-29


|0HE hot rebuke lately administered
by an austere justice of our su-
\ preme court, to lady plaintiff in a
matrimonial action, whose ankle, silk slick
and shapely, protruded too visbly through
a slash in her skirt, has cheered the pure
in heart throughout the land to fresh
attack upon the brazen modes of the day.
The lady in the case, it may be said. had
she persisted in her posture. might have
been committed for contempt of court, for
thus spake the chaste and decorous judge:
Il want to say to that young lady in
black that she is dsrespectful to this
court and is making a spectacle of herself
in a public place. If she wishes me to
be more explicit / will say to her that
her lower limbs are insufficiently clad.
She is making too free an exposure of
them in a public place.
In such deft manner was a situation,
embarrassing for jurors, lltgants, law
yers and spectators alike. relieved by a
tactful and delicate suggestion from the
bench; for without more pointed comment
or criticism. the lady is said to have
flushed, become fearful, and to have
sought by every device of twist and con-
tortion, to hide her Offending ankles Tn
der her chair. Then, with easier concen-
tration on the issues and tho evidence, the
trial proceeded We do not remember the
result of the case, nor is 1t now material.
The advancement of the cause of modesty
and morals by reason of the episode re-
lated, is what we wish especially to re-
cord.
Following hard upon the heels of New
York's judicial ruling upon ankle ex-
hibits in evidence, and deriving. doubtless,
inspira ton and encouragement therefrom.
comes news of the reform movement Just
started in Pittsburg by Alderman Hoev-
eler of that lively municipality. Below is
said to be the text of resolution. the
adoption of which is pressed by the al
derman:
Whereas, The styles of the garments
of women as fashioned at the present
time are. in some cases, of an immodest
character, and in other cases absolutely
lewd and lascivious; and
whereas, The garments commonly
called tight draped skirt and slashed skirt.
when worn by women. tend to lower the
public morality. and are a menace to
good order ard decorum; and.
whereas, A proper regard for decency
requires that the wearing of such gar
ments in public places should be regulated
or prohibited; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the council of the city
of Pittsburg appoint a committee of three
of its members for the purpose of making
an investigation of the matter and re-
porting back to council such recommen-
dations in the premises as to said COM
mittee shall appear meet and proper
The resolution has not yet passed the
board, according to latest advices. Should
it be favorably acted upon, service upon
the subcommittee to investigate and re-
port will no doubt be ea gerly sought.
Simultaneous with all the foregoing. and
as further indication of the depth and un-
iversality of the sentiment against sliced
flounces, come tidings from Chicago.
There. no less conspicuous reformer
than Alderman Bathhouse John Coughlin,
has added himself to the forces arrayed
day. His Indignation, Furthermore, has
found expression in the form of a satir-
ical melodrama entitled. "Silken Sane
tity." designed to hold up to scorn and
contempt hobbies. Sits and the tiimsy,
revealing and teasing effects in feminine
attire now so much the vogue. How COM
pletely "Sillken Sanctity" Is destined to
accomplish it's declared purpose may be
premised from the following trenchant
lines. taken at random-Quite at random
from the prologue:
"When Virtue out among the walks Of
life
Ventures her shopping duties for to do
Staring boobs in her thoughts do rankle.
But what can she, maid or else wife,
Say II her skirts slit or slashed.
So that 1t shows her ankle?'
However much or little may ultimately
be accomplished by the reform SO aus
piciously begun, the informed know that
our courts have wrestled for years with
evidentiary problems involving considera-
tions not wholly unrelated to those which
recently stirred the sensibilties of the
Justice of our supreme court. Nor have
our tribunals been wholly uniform in the
views expressed. In. the west and middle
west, for example, considerable latitude,
or perhaps we should say altitude, is al
lowed. Consider. for example, the case
of Omaha st. r. Co. VS.. Emminger (57
Neb. 240). Here the action was for dam
ages for alleged permanent injuries to
the leg of a female plaintiff, whose coun-
eel proposed that heetins glimpse Of her