The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-07-07
SLAVES OF CUSTOM

(By John Buckley in the Golden Age
Many people have seen Boston
| Charlie, a pure blooded Seminole In
| dian, who used to, and perhaps still
| does, appear on the streets of Mi
ami, Florida, wearing a derby hat,
an immaculate starched white dress
! reaching to the knees, silien socks
| supported by Boston carriers, and
| patent leather shoes. He was look
ed upon by most people as an anus
! ing freak, from an inferior race. No
one will venture to claim that he
differed greatly from the white
throng, except that he did not accept
all of the fashions Of the white peo-
pie, and omitted the tailor-made suit.
In the pictures at the movies, we
see crowds, in different cities of the
world; and if you do not read the
signs. it will be difficult to deter
mine where the picture was taken.
In all of the views We see the same
forms of dress, the same pattern in
hats and in shoes. Paris or London
makes fashion, and the "civilized''
world follows it.
In the street-cars of our cities you
see mechanics returning from their
days work, wearing soiled and wilt
ed collars that are neither slightly
nor comfortable. The wearers know
this; yet to fail to wear a collar
would be to carry a serious handi-
cap to success; and to wear rub
Der or celluloid collar, that would
be clean and retain its shops, would
brand him as "cheap skate" and
not of the upper ten, whose dress
he does his best to initiate
If Boston Charlie had tucked his
skirts into pair Of trousers and had
worn belt, he would have passed
as a well-dressed man, and would
have been served at any hotel. But
since he kept to the more comfor-
table skirt, he remained a barbar-
ian. Should the workman appear
without his collar, he would not be
served in any cirst class place.
Once while working in the home
of millionaire, | heard the servants
talking of a servant that had been
advanced to the position of house
keeper. 1t was the general opinion
that no self-respecting servant could
| take orders from her. and that the
| family would not be able to find a
| butler that would take orders from
! her. The woman was capable and
intelligent, but the servants must ape
| the SnobbishneSs of their employers.
Francis Joseph, Emperor of Aus
| tria. and the father of Maria Their
esa, found that the poorer classes of
the empire were impoverishing them
selves with eXtravagant and ostenta-
tious funerals which left the living
in debt and caused great suffering.
| Thinking for the welfare of his peO-
pie, he made a law which limited the
amount which should be expended for
ceremonies. The people would not
be saved from their own folly, and
there was immediate revolution. The
law had to be repealed.
In our own time and place we use
no better Judgment and what the
neighbors may say is the most inn
por5ant matter in our lives.
If you live in the country, you may
go to a funeral in your carriage or
! car, and drive it yourself. If how
ever, you are living in the city, you
must run true to form, and hire a
| limmousine and it's driver, for SIS
i Any deviation from the set rule will
call for criticism, and even the poor
est must live up to the traditions.
Thousands of people die every
year, who during life lived from
hand to mouth. The meagre resources
of the family have been strained
during the sickness: yet there must
be the usual imposing funeral serv-
ices, each item of which represents
a debt that the family will not be
able topay in months, and perhaps
in years. During this time the chill
dren are under fed and under clothed
and every member of the family suf-
fers to a great or less extent. Many
tradesman has been forced out OF
business through inability to say
"No" to needy families.
If you tell a man that he has no
! common sense. he will take offense;
yet how many prove by Independent
thought or action their ability to
think? And actions, you know
"speak louder than words"
We have passed the times when q
mans family and his chattels were
sacrificed on the funeral pyre. Yet
we have not reached time when in
telligence will direct every move
ment; for like sheep we will follow
the bellwether of custom John d
Rockefeller, or j. P. Morgan, could
drive a one-lung Oldemobile through
the streets of New York, and il
would be known as a joke and would
be appreciated. If "Yours truly" did
the same thing. it would be necessary
to call out the police reserves to dis
perse the mob People cannot afford
to appear ridiculous or different
from others; and we shall keep on in
creasing the number of our follies
until from sheer weight they crush