The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-08-02

evidence that she dressed as charged
in the complaint, but nobody coulC
point to any particular harm thai
she had done. What she had done
was the same as usual, only the dry.
goods she wore at the time was cut
and sewed in different shape. She
was the same. The clothes were
different. Her state of mind was the
same; her words were as usual; her
conduct as usual. Where then, was
the HARM? The only answer was
that the harm, if any, was in the
minds of the other folks, and they
are, or ought to be largely RESPONSE
BILE for their own thoughts. But not
everybody accepted that theory, and
those that objected to it, had to go
back on their former teachings to
some extent, to maintain their posi-
ton in this case, for who is there
that has not endorsed the saying,
AS man thinketh, so is he"
Belva Lockwood was found guilty,
and was sentenced to pay fine or go
to prison. She said she would not
pay, and she would not go to prison.
But here was her body If they
wanted to do anything with it-haul
it or carry it to the prison, she would
not resist And while the embar-
RAISING situation continued, she
walked out and went home.
Some friends went to her and
rendered the amount of the fine for
her to pay into court, but she
thanked them and said she could not
accept it nor consent to their pay
ing it into court, so they went home.
Washington and the United States
was disturbed officially. Here was a
woman violating the law, and official
dom could not stand for that They
must uphold the majesty of the law
and the dignity of the courts or
there would be chaos.
Nothing could be accomplished by
hauling the body of Belva Lockwood
to jail and storing it there for the
period of the sentence. That would
bring a rebound and they feared it. /
To let it go and do nothing about it
would be worse. The days dragged \
On, and it was settled by introducing
a bill in congress allowing Belva
Lockwood a special dispensation to
wear trousers. Men voted for the
was doing it anyway,
and the president signed the bill
Belva Lockwood studied law, was
admitted to the bar, including the
right to practice before the supreme
court of the United States, and she
lid it on her merits as lawyer. She
knew the law and could apply it. She
lied three or four years ago at a
line when millions of women were
that old question, "Why
should not woman dress. as suits
Ter best?" Some people and some
officers were objecting, but there
vas that law giving one woman the
light to wear what she chose, and
When million other women who
we're not named in the measure,
vore what they wanted to, not many
'eOple cared to take the matter into
curt.
A girl down in Arkansas had to
% into court for powdering her
ose, but the court decided that it :,
1as her own nose, that she was =
lean, healthy, and that If there was :
nything offensive to good taste in :
hat powdered nose, the. girl was
aking sufficient responsibility in :
hat 1t was the privilege of all her
ssociates to- look the other way or
D avoid her or to ostracise her or to J
snore her presence and thus ad- !;
mister such punishment as each
ne individually chose to meet out to
lie offender. This last sentence E
,vers and disposes of a large part S
the questions in controversy, and
light well be~kept in mind by those
no dress and those who observe the is
feet of dress and the lack or abbre- t.
alton of dress. 81
n