The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1921-04-01
EDITORIALS
MORALITY OR IMMORTALITY

Why all this bally-hoo about won
ems dress? Has civilization encased ms
In such a cheap veneer that we have
developed artificial morals, artificial
truth, artificial religion?
A few years ago style was not con
tent to show the genuine beauty of a
woman, but decked her out in bus
sells, pads and rats. There was the
idea that "the human form divine
was thing of shame and disgrace.
The newspapers have always used
women's styles as butts for their Jokes
and the pulpit has aided them bv a
persistent bounding and nagging. The
papers are daily carrying stories of
some scatter Drained minister who is
either seeking noteriety or has no bet
ter sense, forbidding women in his
church unless they are dressed accord
ing to his personal standards. II is a
commendable thing that no such i'm
pudent and contemplate thing has ev-
er been perpetrated on local communit-
les. If these ministers had any reason
ing powers they would know without
any brain-rending thought, that thew
are simply calling attention to the
Awearer and not to the clothes, And in
his way they succeed in making sug-
estions that carry evil import. They
eally defeat their own purpose IF
ey really have a laudable one) by
rnishing food for lascivious talk and
frupt ermarks when women are pas
ing wearing such clothes as have had
criticism
When fashion decreed that the nat
ural figure should be free and un-
hampered it made one of the greatest
steps forward since the beginning of
the Christian ira. Thousands of chill
dren have been crippled for life by
barberous lacings and bindings with
which women tortured themselves in
following hide-bound DEGREES of socie-
ty. Sensible shoes are fashionable in
stead of a reproach. For which God be
thanked! Sensible dresses are now a
requirement of fashion dresses that
give woman the same comfort the
man demands. All praise to such a
fashion,
An old saying is ''to the pure all
things are pure" 1t is being contra
dieted by few ministers and a few
fossils that is, if they really are
pure! The man who looks at the
modern dress af woman and sees on
ly evil and lewd suggestion is for
fro impure. He can sermonize until
he is hoarse, but he can't remove
that fact.
Roosevelt, telling of his exper-
fences in Africe, told of tribe of
natives whose only wearing apparel
consisted of a brush-like object worn
hung about the waist And the sig
ficant thing about it was that it
was worn behind Ribald laughter
greets such a statement. But those
natives see nothing immoral in it.
They are purer- minded than we are.
AS soon as evil minded reformers
are eXterminated like other pests,
there will be a chance to teach REAL
purity and REAL decency. If child
rem were taught the sanctity and
-wh0fesonfeness of sex matters, there
would be no more street corner sug-
gestions and foul mouthed Singer
ings for women to endure If min
listers taught the glory of womanhood
instead of besmirching the female
figure with indecent harangues of
suggestiveness they would do the
world some good.
The conclusion seems that ito the
pure $50 called) all things are vile"
The devil they continually berate is
being admirably served whenever a
sanctimonious hypercrite begins to
call attention to women's dress as
immoral. One can easily imagine Sir
Devil laughing until his stomach
aches at such inconsistency.