Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-04
GIRLS WHO WILL SMOKE.
Connecticut is Hull of Pretty Females Who
Like to Puff Cigarettes.
nnrtfor1 dlsn,t ,h IN New York san. ]


A delicate Judicial question will soon in
wife attention TO the Land of STEADY
Habits-Will the coming young woman OF
twelve orifteen years be allOwed TO smoke?
One Of the interesting and far-reachlng
laws that were enacted 10y the last General
Assembly is the famous tobacco statute,
which provides that minor under SIX
teen wears Of age" shall touch, taste, ana
handle not tobacco in any form" the
penalty for violating the law being u fine
Of II and costs To be inflicted on the father
of The offending lad. The statute was
worried through the Legislature by good
auti-tOhacco folks, who viewed with
alarm the dire encrOachments that the
tobacco habit is making among the young
(boys) in the public schools and on the
streets"
1t has long been noted by them withpain
that tender Youngsters Of from SIX 10 SIX
teen years smoked "snipes" IL the streets
and chewed navy plug with the solemn
satisfaction Of an able seaman both IN
school aud after school hours. IL would
have pleased them to knock ont tobacco
wholly in Connecticut, but being keenly
conscious that it would not do to be Tadi-
cal with legislators, nine lenths OF whom
chewed plug, and ina Commonwealth whose
hest crop is tobacco, they bore down all
the more heavily on the juvenile tobacco
habit.
some of the hard-headed old legislators
did not fancy the stringent tobacco bill,
especiallv back-country farmers who have
been i'm the habit of sending 3" the boy" TO
the village store in the busy season for q
couple cf hands of plug. and who noted
that the measure forbids boy 10 even
touch tobacco in any form. But the bill
was passed by a vote that was practically
unanimous. The new law goes into effect
on August 1st.
The tobacco statute having been ably
designed 10 sharply twig male minors less
than sixteen years old who are addicted TO
USING the weed, no one doubts that the
executive arm of the State will be able
10 do its duty. but scohers are asking
whether the same arm Will reach out I'M
partially to female viOlatOTs OF the statute.
viii 4 minion of the law be justified in
invading the home Of young lady less
than sixteen years old who smokes cigar
cites. and will a Judge be justified in tining
her mother 81 and costs for the DAUGHTERS
offence? That is a delicate question, and
able lawyers are unable 10 answer il con-
clnslyelv. IL is not disputed that there
are A great number of Connecticut young
ladies who smoke cigarettes, and many
of them are less than sixteen years Old.
Not less than a score of Norwich maldens
smoke. and two or three girls IN short
I
at cigarette while on their way
10 school In many instances the female
smokers boldly buy their tobacco supplies
at the cigar-stOres; IN others gentleman
| friend. whose age ranges from six TO sixty
wears. ministers 10 the feminine demand.
In Hartford the number OF young ladies'
| who smoke is twice or three times as great
| as that in this town, and in Bridgeport,
New Haven, MeTiden. and Waterbury there
are female smokers, both minors and
adults IL is evident to every one that the
| officers empowered TO enforce the juvenile
smokers act viii have to be men OF con-
spicuous tact and incXhaustible discretion.
A startling illustration of the passion with
which Connecticut girls have taken stand
on the tobacco question may be noted. AZ
| Waterbury not long ago fashionable
young lady talked freely. with u newspaper
reporter. She said: "Oh, yes, We all have
smoked more or less. | hardly know OF a
girl Of my acquaintance who has not
smoked cigarettes at some time or other
inst to see how il would taste or seem, you
know. Then lots of us smoke them for
toothache. You doubt il? Well, Just you
try it the next time you have a toothache,
and see whether it is of any good. It's u
sure cure. Most of us have the toothache
quite often, you can imagine"
Still another Connecticut city girl ex-
pressed her views "Why. of course we
smoke more or less; all society girls do. l
mean cigarettes, of course, though | know
good many young ladies IN the highest
social circles who rarely pass day without
smoking IA half or at least part OF regular
full-sized and mild cigar. Why, it is easy
enough 10 get cigarettes. All the drug
stores keep cigarettes nowadays, you know,
and nothing i'll is thought of "A young lady
who goes boldly in and buys a package.
Why should il be considered a questionable
act2 How is a dealer TO know whether the
purchaser or a male member Of her family
is going 10 use them? Why, in New York
and all other fashionable cities society
girls smoke cigarettes more or less. Lots
Of girls learn TO smokein boarding
They frequently begin by borrowing a
cigarette of gentleman friend, and after
they had learned what Jolly thing tobac-
co is why they take up cigar smoking-lUst
little bit, YOU know, because then they
have learned to snjoy smoking as luxury,
not as a nOVelty.n