Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1896 — HIGH THEATER HAT BILL PASSED [ARTICLE]

HIGH THEATER HAT BILL PASSED

Ohio Legislators Have Fun with the 1 Measure. The Fosdick bill to prohibit the wearing; of high hats by women in theaters was passed in the Ohio House. The bill nearly passed two weeks ago, under suspen-j sion of the rules, but was prevented from! going through with a whirl by Mr. Stew-i art’s amendments adding six months’! imprisonment to the penalty of a fine. Mr.; Stewart withdrew this amendment. i Mr. Bosler thought the women ought] not to be fined for wearing the hats, but that the managers of theaters who per-i mitted his patrons to wear such obstruc-j tions should be fined, and, moreover, then) there would be some way of enforcing the| law. He accordingly offered an amend-j ment making that change, fining the mani ager of an opera house or theater sloj for permitting a person to wear an obj struction in the shape of a hat or head-! gear, and the amendment was agreed to.; Mr. Stewart of Clarke made an exceed-t ingly serious argument against the bill. He thought the bill ought to be fixed toi give women protection against men who go out between acts, to the great annoyance of the women. Mr. Stewart proposed to amend the bill, making it a mis-* demeanor for men to go out between the acts for drinks; also a chief inspector of hats, he to appoint deputies in all cities. They would seize all the hats worn ini violation of the law. These amendments! were disagreed to. Fosdick said his bill) was a temperance measure, as high hat® drive men to drink between acts.