The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-02-26
Ole Gl1tetiaettteE


SmRllg, The Georgia eVaDgeIlst WI" 10 Ho'P
ING Rev. Sam Jones to rattle the dIA
homes in Chicago, One Florence Nc
Carthy, who absorbed as an ex'prsacheF
addresses a long letter to Mr.. snalls In
which he arraigns the evangelist fol
preaching personal purlty-denoupcinI
the theatre, the dance, progressive suchIe
gambling in wheat and pork, while Small
himself is "a tobacco druukard."
No! only is Mr.. smRls charged will
using tobacco, but tobacco in the often
slye form OF the demoralizlng AM
deadly c'paretle-"dlrty bits of damna
ton" saith the tx-preacher To pile Oh
the horrors, Mr.. Mccarthy say he under
stands that Mr.. smalls smokes four Of tn
disgusting things NJ one time. Tho com
pIsinsnt in this case ssys he understand
that Rev. Sam Jones also is "a tobacco
drunkard" and lie fsks in an outburst o
indignation, "Ars you not o sweet'scente'
cjuple to come all the way from Georgia
to Gay the Christians I Chicago for thcI
inConsisIenCies2"
There is an evident mslIgnanCy In thi
aslult which 81 ks it below the level o
honest, well.meant G iiclsm' But th'
charge having bean nude, tits worth whit
to know whether IL is true, and II true
whether MIR. Smalls Is 10 he held blame
worthy. On the tirst point we have The
testimony Of Mr.. smalls himself. Making
public answer 10 the accusation he said
III you will show me that . cigarette eveI
kept a man out Of heaven, I'll quit"
With due respect to the earnest evange
list, he begs the question, He puts in
plea Of confession and avoidance. II hi
is going tv hang on 10 his Gickening cigar
cite until he has 1t demonstrated to him
with the clearness Of a proposition lngeome
try, that cigarette hes kept man out o
heaven, lie will not b. called on to qll
until he goes himself to try the fate Of
cigarette smoker. The answer Is no
worthy Of man Of MIR, smalls' brains ant
rosition, who vigorously assaults the
The lt1e, the dance, progressive euchre ant
dealing in pork on margin.
The point which he ought to have me-
squarely is, whether a Christian, profess
ing to lead piOus life, can consistently
keep company with the seductive dud'
cigarette. A full and frank discussion o
this question by Mr.. smalls would hav'
been interesting. II there be no mora
degradation in the cigarette, and manl
think there is, Mr.. SmallS had the oppor
tunity to establish that point before
large audience, in a city Of widely ctrcll
lated newspapers and OF unexcelled tele
gpphic facilities. His logical conclusion
would have been scattered to the fou
corners, and the world would have knowr
Of the yindiCation Of the cigarette. ThiI
would have earned for Mr.. spalls TIN
gratitude Of those artists who make com
pound Of cigar atuinps and opium and cal
1t q cigarette.
Whether preacher ought to use to
bacCo in any form is, We conceive, a Ques
ton entirely apart from the use Of tobacco
in the cigarette form. II nobody ought tc
use the cigarette, which We take to be
safe ground, then surely preacher cughi
not to use 1t. The habit Of chewing to-
b1cco we assume to be scarcely less object
ionable, though 1t Is not 30 offensive Il
the innocent and helpless. When VT
come to the placid solacs Of the Pipe ant
the highly intellectual relaxation Of thI
cigar, we are 80 far above the cigarette
aud the quid that those vain glories Of al
inferior stratum may be dismissed a
wanting all tho elements for comparison
1t must DO admitted that the Methods
church, to which Mr.. smalls and Mr.
Jones belong, has set It's face agains
tobacco In all its forms. The fathers ID
Israel continue TO enjoy their pipes ant
their cigars, but youug men Offering them
sslvss for the ministry must pledge them
selves before the solemn Conclave Of thu
Conference that they will not use tobacco
in any form.
The older preachers are not required L
fall into line, because 1t is recognized tina
the tobacco habit Is not easily broken
and that the little vice is very comforting
to It's deyotees. This does not seem 10 b.
consistent Discrimination for II the ust
Of tobacco would impair the usefulness
and ieopardize tile spiritual health Of thl
young preachers, who shall say that tht
older preachers and their lloCEs shall es
caps2 and II a preaches cannot, with dut
regard for bis sacred office, smoke his pipt
or cigar, then It Is not much to cay foi
him that lie has grown into habit which
is hard TO cast OF.
We do not, however, think II wortt
while to press this point, for nothing Il
more certain than that preachers and lay
mon without number have gone 10 HEAVIER
with the odor Of tobacco on their clothes
There is, however, absolutely no recorded
instance Of a man reskinE with thu
cigarette having passed through the gatel
Otpearl' -