The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-09-17
FOR THE HERALD
Tobacco.

Mr.. EDIToR:-I am disgusted in body.
mind and heart with tobacco, and every day
I live this disgust is increased. This splitting
is horrible! If men will chew and smoke,
and the women will dip, why do they not
swallow their saliva and tobacco juice, and
not afaict every decent person around by
splitting, spitting splitting. now write in
church where there are the longest and most
ample sp;ttoons ever saw. Out Of curiosity
have just measured one, and its dimensions
are 34l inches by eight. Regular horse
troughs. These are neatly made and painted
white. but fithiy stained and filled with dis
gusting contents, and yet with number of
these extraordinary appendages of modern
civilization, the church is spattered, gormed,
and defled. am disguised, sir; !. repeat, I
am disguised. Much of this nasty work is
done BY the Preachers of the Gospel Is it
not strange that good men, wise men, men
of parts, and men Of influence should propa-
gate habit in society that nauseatesdecency,
and shocks all the refined Scnsibilities of our
nature. I was in pulpit the other day, and
on each side within were filthy spittoons.-
The sight and oaor were offensive, and at
tempted to push them aside with my foot,
but they were stationary, built in the pulpit
when it was made, and, I presumed, had
never been cleaned since the church had
been built. 1t does seem to me that minis
ter Of Christ should be scrupulous]y nice,
like hiS Master. Who can fancy Him chew
ing tobacco and splitting! The very thought
is abhorrent. The minister of the Gospel
should in every respect be pattern for the
young, so that they may unhesitatingly fol-
low without danger of mistake. But the
Preachers Of religion are doing more to
spread this vile practice in society than any
other class Of men. A change ought to take
place, and our ministers should free them
selves from the pollutionS Of tobacco.
have not one word to say to those outside
the church except the young. am willing
to endure anything at their hands, but l
must address the religious people. Is it not
shame for religious people to spend mon-
ey, squander time, vitiate their taste, defle
their mouths, lower society in the scale Of
refinement, yield themselves slaves to vile
habit, set such examples before the young,
and by their piety and position fasten upon
society practice which none can justify!
The use of tobacco is scandal upon the
decencies of a Christian profession. Quit it,
We Christian chewers, smokers, and dippers,
and contribute the ayailS to the charities of
the church. Her Golfers now empty would
be filcd at once, and many sad hearts be
made to rejoice. Think of the thousands
and tens of thousands of dollars offered at
the shrine of this indecen. idol. Ye religious
people of the various denominations, who
year after year, let your ministers 60 unpaid,
who spend from five TO one hundred dollars
for the vile weed, where is your conscience!
Compare your love Of the church, of her
ministry with your love for this vile weed,
and answer the question, Where is your
conscience?
am aston ished to hear it argued, that
many good and even great men have and
still use the weed. 1t this the best that can
be said for it. What indccency cannot be de-
Tended on this basis! A case must be hard
run for defence, when the acknowledged
weaknesses of men have to be pleaded as the
best defence. ANY vile practice may be
encouraged by this argument, as there have
been good, but weak, and faulty men III all
ages, who have violated taste, proprlety,
and decency, to the shame Of their profession,
and shall these evils be perpctuatcd on Socie-
tv because good men practced them. Ii the
Young are encouraged to practice the wrongs
of the good, they may become monsters IN
moral deformity.
Tobacco is wrong, and the young ought to
be taught this truth. 1t is wrong against
health, 4 wrong against propriety, wrong
against the aesthetic part of our nature, q
wrong against the financial Interests Of char-
itv, a wrong against the younger portion f
society, demoralizing them and tending
directly 10 extravaganza and protiigacy. 4
chew of tobacco, Scgar, is step 10 the
first drink, and the first drink q step towards
drunkenness and infamy.
Ye young people, suffer word of advice:
If these older people will chew and spit, and
smoke and make chimneys Of their noses,
and dip and make their mouths vile, do you
refrain from practice, which, if INDUCED in,
you will regret as long as you live.
HESkY HE'S; III N. MOOD.