Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1885-06-30
THEOLOGY AND TOBACCO.


In the reports of the proceedings at
recent meetings of clergymen of cer-
tain evangelical church we find the
ministry were each asked if they
would abstain from the use Of tobacco
in any form, and that their answer
was received with loud applause, even
to the extent, we suppose, of shaking
the spittoons conveniently placed
throughout the building for the use of
the elder brethren. Now, it is well
known that philosophers, among whom
we gladly count theologlans, have
been addicted to the use of tobacco.
Sir Walter Raleigh, who introduced
the weed into England. found his
chief solace in pipe, as did also Sir
Isaac Newton, of whom it is related
that, when one day smoking in the
presence of lady to whom he was as
affectionately attached as philoso-
pher could be, he took her hand, and
instead, as she expected of making a
declaration of love, used one of her
delicate fingers as a pipe-stopper.
Now, with the example of two such
eminent men before US, is it to be sup
posed that weak human nature will
not initiate it? And, If we come
down to modern times, we find some
of our most noted literatl and divines
styling tobacco an aid to reflection.
Its use has spread to all classes of So
ciety, and in speaking of its effects
well-knOwn writer says that cit pro-
duces state of languor or repose
most agreeable to those accustomed to
its use" What more necessary,
therefore, than that our clerical
friends should have something with
which to soothe them after their per-
sistent attacks upon Sunday journal
ism and other forms of immortality
or infideltityp The Turk who
smokes necessarily is impervious
to trouble, German finds pipe
preventive of vexation or ir-
ritation, and the councils of the silent
Indians are always conducted in
dignified manner, owing doubtless to
the presence of the pipe which accom-
panies them. With all due reverence
be it said that theological as we'll as
political discussions are not always
free from acrimony, and instead of
forbidding the use of tobacco it might
be productive of good to introduce it
into public deliberations, SO that in
the charm of its presence and by the
fragrance of its odor old wounds
might be healed and peace and har
mOny reign supreme. In private as
we'll as in public life it's soothing in
fluence is often felt; and it is not un-
likely that Jupiter himself, when
Juno was cross and petulant, retired
TO a neighboring bank of clouds and
let his domestic troubles pass away
with the smoke that curled up in ethe-
real fashion from his pipe. We do not
permit ourselves to doubt for an in
slant that if the local contemporaries
of The Union smoked good cigars in
stead of the vile brands they are
shrewdly suspected of smoking they
would harbor less envy and malice in
their manly bOsoms, and would speed
ily conclude that The Unton'S special
cable service was something that the
whole town, including themselves,
should be proud of, as an exhibition of
local enterprise and public spirit.
1t is, of course, admitted that at
different times objections, having the
weight of kingly and priestIy author
lty, have been made against the smok-
ing habit. King James the Sixth, who
was a stanch churchman and de-
scendant of that other king whom the
old historian styled "a sore saint to
the crown" wrote famous "Coun-
terblast Against Tobacco" but this is
more than counterbalanced by the fact
that if Christopher Columbus had not
discovered Amerca the plant in ques-
ton would have been unknown; and
as that gentleman has been enrolled
in the calendar of saints it would be