The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-05-30
NEW CRUSADE AeAINsTToBAoco,

The opponents of tobacco "in all its
forms, though they seem less active than
formerly in this country, are abroad now
reviving their crusade against the abom.
Unable but seductive weed with unusual
energy. Societies have just been form
ed in France for the purpose of preach
ing down, and putting downs as best they
can by moral suasion, the "pernicous
practices of the use of tobacco" and one
of the chief of the tobacco>reformers has
recently published somewhat startling
statement as to the almost universal use
of the weed among the sterner sex in
France. His story is certainly an inter
esting one whatever we may think Of its
lesson, or the value of the moral he de-
rives from it, 1t appears that the lively
Gaul begins to smoke as arule at school,
and at the early age Of eleven; and, as
smoking is prohibited very strictly with
in the walls of the lycSe, the scholar avails
himself of his day out to puff away in
some safe woodland orurban retreat,un
disturbed all day long by visions ofstefn
proctors. 1t is assered that "he gravi'
tates as naturally to the bureau dc ta6ac
as the English boy to the pastry cooks
or the sweet stuff shop Among the
French lower classes, the young appren.
tice and the middle aged dworkman trudge
to their daily labor pipe in mouth, and
would as soon think of leaving their kit
of tools at home as their cheap, twoNsou
brier-wood, In the army every officer,
from the stripping sub>lieutenant to the
Marshal. .Presidert Of the Republic,
smokes indefayigably. The author com.
poses, the artist l3ys on his colors, with
pipe or cigarette in mouth;the shop. keep.
er leaves his shop in care of his tonne
femme many times day, to have pull
at his beloved caDOrai at the eStamincTt
round the corner; the honorable deputy
smokes as he awaits the train that is TO
take him to Versailles; the stockbroker
as he hies him to the Bourse, the RaHenr
lounging on the boulevard, the clubman
as he loiters at the big front window, the
advocate aS he reads his brief on his way
to the Palais de JustiCe-do all these
things under the soothing influence of
tobacco. 1t is said, indeed, there are only
two classes of French men who do not
smoke; the Cabmen, because they are too |
Constantly under the vigilant watch Of
the police; and the priests, because they |
fear lest hint oft ofthetransgression should |
reach the ears of their bishop. Thus, the |
new anti,tobacco societies have no lack |
of targets at which to hurl their anatheN
mas, no want of heather on every hand |
to convert to their own adherence of the |
weed. The progress of tobacco>using, |
and especially smoking-for few Euro.
peans chew, and the fine old patrician
practice of snuff taking is fast going out
is, indeed, amazingly rapid beyond the |
Atlantic. The large majority Of males
in every civilized country smoke habituN
ally. 1t used to be said that excessive
was one of the chief causes of
the decline of the Turks in vigor and en-.
terprise: but it is doubtful whether there
has not been as much smoking in the
ranks of the Muscovites and Cossacks,
during the past year of trial requiring
as in the stubbornly fighting |
but finally defeated legions of lslam.-
From A4bleton'S JoHrRaI fer june,