Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-05-07
MISCELLANEOUS.
Tobacco - Its Effects On the Human
Constitution, Physical, Intellectual
and Moral.
BY JAMES COULTER LAYARp, NJ. D.
ICONfISUEp.

by this time convinced that the hahitull
use Of tobacco is a curse, second only tc
the rum plague and that its en,ir
abandonment by rs as people. both in
dividually and collectively, is consun
nation devnuily to be wished for How
is this to be accomplished ? We hav,
little hope that by the penning of these
lines we can induce any great number o.
those votaries of the weed who shall read
them, to reform their habits in this res
pect. Though an angel guided our pen,
they are too securely bound by the
chains which hold them in slavery SO
ignoble to heed anything we can write.
Our chief hope, then, lies with those
who have not yet become slaves to a ty-
rant so merciless, and especially with
our youth AN ounce of prevention is
worth pound of cure"
IL is a fact that very few have ever
commenced the habit of using tobacco in
adult age, unless per advice of some
stupid physician. With most persons
the habit has been formed in youth, and
when arrived at mans estate they most
bitterly repent of their folly; but they
are now too much enslared to regain their
freedom No one either commences the
practice with the consent of his parents,
for it is a practice which no man, how
ever much addicted to it himself, ever
recommends 10 his son. In fact, it is al
most.always in direct opposition to and
in disregard of parental authority that
such habits are formed. If we could
stay this plague but for one generation
the victory woald he secure.
Every fort. then, must be made. to
impress upon our youth the consequen
ces of their forming such habits. Espe-
cially must they be taught that is a mat
Ter of regret with every right-minded
man who uses tobacco (this is especially
true of tobacco chewersJ }, that he was in
his youth betrayed into such habits, and
that thus it will be with them.
But to parents we would say, that in
dealing with the young in this matter, as
in most others, practice is a great deal
better than preaching. OF what use is
it for parent to dlate to his son upon
the evils of m,emperance, and then illus !
trate his teachings by coming home
drunk once a week. In many cases, in.
deed, no amount of parental precept will
be. of much effect unless accompanied
and enforced by parental example. If
you wish to save your sons from a sla-
very so debasing, from tyranny so gill
ing, as that Of tobacco, you must your
selves FIRST set tie example. If, then, in
fuenccd by this or by other coDsidera-
tions which we have in this paper en-
deavoyed to present, their be any who
have determined to break there fetters,
The question arises-how is this to be
done
Many Of you are not yet so enthral!
ed tut that you can, with a little sell
denial, succeed in giving up the use of
tobacco if you will only try. There are
many, indeed, upon whom the chains of
the tyrant sit yet lightly, and who assert
that they can give up tobacco at any
time. TO all such we say, then proceed
10 do go speedily. DO not let this idea
that you can give up at any time deter
you from making the experiment at once,
for however easy that may be now it will
not be always thus for the time will
most assuredly come when, if the habit
be continued, you will be bound by ad-
amantine links. And it may come soon
er than you expect la such cases 1t al
most always does. But there are those
to whom the REIMBURSEMENT of the habit
will be no easy task. And those who
find the most difficulty in breaking off
are the very ones with whom-for their
own sake-there exists the greatest ne
cessity for the reformation of the habit.
For you may regard it as an axiom that C
those who suffer the NEST in the break (
ing of their bondage to any particular
drug, whether it be tobacco, alcohol, or
opium, are those whose constitutions are '
being most injured by the use of that
drug, whatever it may be.
To those with Hhom the REIMBURSEMENT ,
of the habit is likely to be matter of l
come difficulty we say, be firmly persuad
ID in your own minds Of the advantage,
lay the necessity, of what you are about
0 do. What man makes up his mind
o DO, that, in nine cases out of ten he |
ucceeds in doing. "Where there's
will there's a way" We have unbound O. O.
ID confidence in the all-conquering power +,
# an iron will. We have known men a
Who entered upon their every undertak- 6
ne with such indomitable energy. firm y
hess of purpose, and determination to
ucceed, that nothing human could pre-
'ent the accomplishment of their ends.
such men, when victims of the tobacco |
,lague, will not fail in the effort to rid
themselves Of it, if they will but make
he effort. In order to induce them to I
10 this they only need to have an ade-