The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1914-09-17
HOW THE WOMEN CAN HELP.

IL I growing sections OF the Uni
~ ted States are in a more de-
plorable state today than they
have been at any time since
the Civil War The women of that
period rose to heights of executive
ability, which may now be reached
by the women of today who will be-
gin to study conditions, recognize
the causes, and help with the remedy.
Some of the schemes offered for
the relief of the cotton farmer have
the earmarks of having been Matched
in asylums for the feeble-minded.
Many Of them wear tags that are so
clearly and plainly marked Char
1ty,' it is a wonder there have been
no mass meetings of the farmers
protesting against this view Of the
matter being taken, and exploited.
The farmer has collateral which
is truer in value than many Of the
'gaudily printed and red-sealed 'se-
curities' which the average broker
can get money on with SO great ease.
And when the farmer, his wife and
all his kin folks get this under their
hats, they will realize what so many
knew before, that the balance of
poWer-financial as we'll as political,
lies with the man who tills the soil,
and # he will cultivate sand in his
gizzard, as his chickens do, he will
not have schemes Of the wild cat
variety, foisted on him under the
guise of "reliefs."
Some years ago, when woman was
charitable enough to keep all the
sidewalks cleaned with her trailing
skirts, the despair of the majority
was, to keep the "style'' and yet not
have a be-dragged and frayed skirt
where it came in contact with the
paycments. A keen-witted Yankee
set to work and invented a braid
that was known as "brush Braid" it
was well described by it's name. At
terWard women in the concrete had
glimmers of sense, and as the scient-
lists had begun to hold up the hor-
rors of microbes and bacteria, the
women shortened their skirts, and
the brush braid was sold by the car
load. 1t was a splendid braid, and
the bottom of the skirts stood sea-
sons Of wear and tear, the braid be-
ing practically everlasting.
Then the makers of dress goods
began to take note Of the fact that
dress goods were not wearing out
fast enough, and in some way,
known to those 'in the trade" the
making Of brush braid was discon-
tinued: the dresses continued to
flop about the feet of the wearers,
but there was no protection and of
course the inevitable happened.
Changes in style came, and the
women, as per usual, meekly fol-
lowed.
Supply always follows demand,
and while it is true the women who
make and unmake a fashion, usually
are worth the price they are paid
for this nerve-racking profession, it
wouldn't be a bad idea now for the
women of the cotton belt to start
fashion of their own.
Create a demand for cotton goods
suitable for the winter months.
Get busy and see how much you
need in the line of cotton goods for
the home. Sheets, towels, bedding
of all sorts are made of cotton
goods, and the pitiable amount of
wool in "woolen goods" is so amply
offset by cotton that has been special
ly treated to 'blend" with the wool,
it would not amaze the average store
keeper if he knew the women had
caught on to this trade secret, and
demanded, instead of call WOOL
(Which they never get) the "mixed"
goods for which we have abundant
material in the cotton belt.