The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-12-13
For the UuiOn and Journal.
Biddeford Temperance Association.

The Biddeford Temperance Association met
on Monday evening, Dec. 9th. in the room
in the rear Of the City Hall, wherc' by the
kindness of our City Government they In
tend TO hold their future meetings. The NJ
tendance was very good, and tho remarNs
made interesting. -.
Elder Stevens, who always has something
interesting to say, made some statements
which perhaps would be interesting to your
readers. Mr.. Stevens said, "Giye me the
amount expended annually for Intoxicating
drinks in the United States, and will build
I a school.house within four miles square OF
the settled portions of the whole country'
put teacher in every school.house, and sup
port him the year round; build meeting
house in every district and pay the minister
salary. 20 that all should have tho gospel
free build and endow college at conven
lent distances in the entire breadth OF the
land, and pay the Faculty its annual sti'
pend, SO that collegiate education should
DO within the reach of every young man in
the land pay all the paupcrs' bills and ex'
pcnses of litigation, and save money enough
to myself to make me independently rich at
the end of every five years."
Rev. Mr.. Packard, by request, gave re.
port upon tobacco. He said that Tobacco
originated in America. and was named from
Tabaco, a province of Yucatan, in Mexico,
from which place it was first sent to Spain,
Sir Francis Drake istroduced 1t into Eng
land about 1860. Popish anathemas and
royal edicts with the seyercst penalties were
issued against it. King james OF England
wrote book, a counterblast to tobacco,
in which no speaks of it as being "a sinful
and shameful lust--a branch Of drunken
ness-a custom loathsome to the eye. hateful
to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous
to the lungs, and in the black fume thereof
nearest resembling the horrible Stygean
smoke Of the pit that is bottomless.' Laws
were passed in our North American colonies
regulating the use of tobacco; at one time II
was so valuable, that 100 pounds o. good
leaf tobacco would purchase for Virg!niar
planter good rifle just imported from Eng
land. In the old colony laws penalty il
affixed to any who shall smoke tobacco with
in twenty rods Of any church during service
or take it at any inn or yictualling house
except in private room. At town meet
ing in Portsmouth, n. H., 1862, it was or.
dered that cage be built, or some Other
measure devised, at the discretion Of the Sc
lectmcn, to punish such as take tobacco
on the Lords day in time Of public wor'
ship"
The speaker, in referring to the injurious
effects of tobacco upon the system, said that
at was one of the most active and deadly
vegetable posons, acting directly upon the
nervous system enfeebling, deranging or
cxtinguishing the actions Of life. From the
habitual use Of it the following symptoms
may arise: a sense of weakness sinking
sensation or pain in the pit of the stomach
dizziness, or pain the head-occasionai dim
ness of sight-disturbed sleep-nightmare-
irritability of temper-seasons Of great do
preston Of spirits. and in some instances en-
tire and permanent mental arrangement"
Mr.. Packard spoke of the amount used,
as stated by DIR. Abbot, who in letter said
that in 1928 it was estimated "that $40 900
worth of cigars were smoked in one day in
Havana. The total amount of tobacco
grown on the face of the earth has been cal.
culated to be 100000 Of tons-equal to
the weight of wheat consumed by 10000
900 of people"
An editor of public Journal says: This
town spends nine thousand dollars for to-
bacco, about twice what we raised for schools,
about enough to build the High School
house about which we tobacco chewers have
quarrelled so much enough to buy twenty
five cent delaine dress for every adult female
in town, pair of boots for each lad, four or
FIVE dollar bonnet for each lass in town, pay
all the salaries of our ministers and cover all
our contributions for benevolent purposes.
The annual expenditure in the city of New
York isnow $500 900 more than they spendfOr
bread From thirty.fye to forty millions
of dollars are spent for tobacco in the United
States, to six millions paid to ministers. The
American churches pay five times as much
for tobacco as for foreign missions. 1t is
estimated that one thousand millions of dol
lars are expended annually by the whole
human race, this sum would build sixteen
railroads from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
In conclutiCn, Mr.. Packard said that the
using of tobacco was an incorporate habit
and gave two reasons-lst, that the taste ior
tobacco was not natural bat acquired, I'd,
grows by indulgence.
Upon the whole tho report was an able
and exceedingly interesting one. Among
other things the reading Of 1.-The Temperance
Gem" by Miss Susan Odall, paper con
Quoted by the ladies' was listened to with
interest. All Of the articles were good, and
some worthy Of note. Miss 0dall showed
; an aptncss for the work which is rarely me,
with. and the selecting and the arranging o.
articles were made with good taste. At one
of the previous meetings it was stated tina,
there were over forty places in the city o.
BiddelUrd where intoxicating drinks wer,
sold, to about twenty places where provisions
were sold, showing that the city supports