Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-09-07
TEMP NGE COLUMN.
The Cost Of Tobacco.

| No sane man pretends that the use
OF tobacco produces any good. Then
all the money SO expended is wasted.
Yea more, it is expended to purchase
degradation, misery and death. And
have we ever estimated the cost to
the individual consumer, and the ma
ton? 1t seems small when we look
at the amount paid for each days con-
sumption by one individual, but when
these fractions are multiplied by the
number of days in month. a year, a
life time, we find that a very consid-
erable sum, even fortune has been
worse than wasted. At the lowest
calculation, the individual consumer
who chews and smokes must spend
nifty dollars per year. IniS womIa
amount in fifty years to two
thousand five hundred dollars. And
thirty millions of dollars would not
pay for the tobacco consumed in our
land in single year. And would
fifteen millions more pay for the time
wasted in its use? And would still
five millions more pay the pauper tax
occasioned by this ruinous h a bit?
here we have the nice little sum of
I$50,000,000. Quite heavy tax up
on our industrious people, Indeed,
it is stated on good authority, that
more money is paid every year in the
city of New YoIk, for cigars than for
bread. We have a national glory,
but here is national shame which
should cause every patriot and chris
tian to blush. So much money wasted
And who pays this tax? The In
fidel and the christian, the ruler and
the ruled, the statesman, the drunk
ard, and the knave. How many poor
wretched men spend most of their earn
ings for tobacco and rum, while their
families are starving for bread. And
still, other men who call themselves
christians employ their capital in pro
| ducing, and their time in selling those
articles. The best soil in the nation
is now groaning under the cursed to-
bacco leaf, and many a wealthy farmer
is exhausting his land for the profits
of this unhallowed growth and traffic.
Is it right? Has any man a right
to employ his property, his time, his
talents for the injury of his fellow
men? The "barren fig tree must be
cut down. "Why cumbereth it the
ground" What then should be said
of the Upas tree, (or the tobacco
plant whose seeretions are poison
Gus and whose leaves are death bear
ing? Shall this extend its roots
: deeper and its branches wider, until
} it has exhausted the soil, poisoned the
. atmosphere, and rendered the whole
, country surrounding it uninhabitable
This is question of Importance to
the christian landholder who has pro-
t fessedly consecrated his substance, his
f time and his life to God and the great
e work of doing good.
Q And has any man right to indulge
in habit that not only tends to evil,
n but that is evil, and evil only! Has
5 any man a right to waste his money
Y where there are SO many ways to en-
l. ploy it for his own benefit, and the
/ good of others? Can the christian
" 'do this evil, even that any "seeming
is good may come. We see not how
d he can indulge either in the produc-
d ton, traffic, or use of tobacco, and
1t bring any plea or apology that will
e. satisfy even his own conscience.
lie Tobacco is an article of Commerce,
At an article of trade and an article of
ID profit. but still it is an article that
is produces no good and much evil
&c Thorns and thistles occupy the ground
d and tares root out the wheat, but be-
u yond this they do no evil. But the
ne filthy tobacco weed occupies and
i'd drains the rich soil, consumes labor in
as its culture, waste money in its trafc
a pollutes and poisons ever thing ii
of touches and is nuisance generally
it. -.
Id Thousands there are to-day that
are tampering with the cup, who feel
> confident that they are strong enough
ic- to do what ten thousand before them
ne were not strong enough to do. Il
ht- seems the most fatal thing in the
III world-this fascination, this infatua
he ton that falls upon men in this respect
Sound loud trumpet, call the roll o
MS drunkards, bring up the hideous crew
lth those that are damned, and those
he that are to be damned-and assemble
them on some vast plain, and 60 thro
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