The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1919-05-22
War and Woman's Attire

A short while ago DR.. Lyman Alb
bott made the shrewd comment
that the press is supplanting the
pulpit. The idea was that the news
papers prove more interesting to
the people.
But certainly the pulpit here and
there finds a preacher that is quite
equal to holding his own in at least
one corner of the arena where the
struggle for the survival of the fit
test is progressing with wavering
| fortunes. The newspapers is not the
only public organ that now and then
or in occasional examples, resorts
to sensationalism to win public at
tention. The pulpit orator now some
times launches bit of sensational
talk that is more startling, possibly
because of its source, than the most
morbid stuff of the yellow journals.
One of the favorite resources Of
sensationaliSm, whether in press or
pulpit, is the old theme of women's
attire. The revenue office officials
have Just been wrestling with the
question whether corsets are under
wear, and, in order to class them as
such-for purpose of taxation-have
had to declare "vestS" underwear
also. We are not clear in our mind
not that it matters-whether the
revenue people meant "vestee," Or
only the garment that men eagerly
throw away from them at the first
approach of warm weather
And now New York clergyman,
the Rev. DR.. John Roach Stratton,
has succeeded in stirring up the la
dies of his flock by his censure OF
some of the the costumes worn at
the "Bal Bleu" at the Ritz-Carlton.
The Doctor thought that some OF
these-we do not know whether or
not he saw them-werc too tenuouS
and scant.
One of the ladies rctorted, that
perhaps the Rev. Dr.. Stratton is not
accustomed to seeing women in
evening dress"
Now this seems mild enough, but
it drew the parsons fire right away.
He came back with the "retort
churlish," that he once sat next to
lady who was so scantily attired
that he positively blushed" when
another man came up to speak to
him.
We venture to make the point
that the parson should not have
needed the presence Of another male
to summon hot bushes to his cheeks.
But what seemed to hit the Doc
tor hardest was the implication that
he was not accustomed to move in
circles in which ladies wear evening
dress. He halls from Virginia, and
Is proud of it. He said to The Trib-
une Reporter:
"On the matter of this parson
qualifying for New York's social
set, however, l wish to say that it
depends on what the standard Of en-
trance is. If one who dates back on
his fathers side to the Black Doug
lases of Scotland, and whose moth
er was a Virginia Carter, and who
traces his ancestry back to "Old
King Carter" so called becaused he
owned in his day half of the present
State of Virginia-if that sort of
pedigree availed for the procuring
of social distinction, there might be
no difficulty in this particular case,
but if the requirements were found
ed on the size of the money bags,
and one must qualify according to
the specifications of pork-packing
aristocracy, then there might be Sc
rious difficulties"
"This parson" seems inclined to
wear his pride of family at least
sufficiently decollette.
After this fling, he refers the
fashionable ladies of New York to
20 to the Bible for "the right stand
ards of women's dress" We have a
suspicion that they will not take his
advice, in spite of the Black Doug
lases or "Old King Carter" If they
have not listened to Paul they will
hardly turn now to John.
But this incident suggests that
the war is responsible for the en-
treme fashions in woman's dress.
War breaks down all sorts of barri-
ers, liberates the feelings, and fills
the whole people affected by it with
desire for greater freedom OF
spirit and body. We shall have to