The Republican., 1890-07-18
FRENCH TOBACCO.
1t Is the YiIest and Dearest Article on
. the Face of the Earth.

the race OF the Eartn'
1t was a woman who did it. unknown
the city of her birth, the town in which
she died unknown, her name has per-
.ished from the earth, this truth sur
wives alone" and the truth is that she
caused nation of 40, 900, 900 of people to
suffer from the vilest and dearest tobac-
co on the face of the earth. She did 1t
through feminine vanity and in one mo-
ment avenged all that her sex has sut-
fered from the selfishness Of tobacco
smokers. And this is how it happened:
One evening there was ball at the
Tuilleries. Napoleon said to one of his
ministers:
"Who is that woman over there blaz,
ing with jewels?"
That" replied the minister, sis the
wife of NJ. -, the tobacco manufact-
urer."
"There is money in tobacco" said the
Emperor. 1.-The government will have
a monopoly of the tobacco business after
this"
So the French Government, monarch
Sal or republican, has ever since served
put to its unfortuna subjects such to-
bacco as it thinks thGy can smoke with
out falling dead when they get the first
Whit. 1t costs from half franc to a
franc for packet containing couple
of ounces. The government is not con-
tent with legitimate profits, but serves
out the most abominable mixture that
ever insulted respectable pipe. 1t is q
nj 1Ct
material of which it is made is kept a
deep secret by the officials. Some say it
is made from old rags, but this is evil
IDENTIFY untrue, for rags would smoke
much better than Franch tobacco does.
Fearing an uprising among the English
and American residents in France, the
government reluctantly consented to
allow a couple of brands of English to-
bacco and one or two brands of Ameri-
can tobacco to be sold in the republic.
The price put on these goods gives
about three times the cost of the tobacco
to the government Thus, a packet which
sells in Detroit for ten cents costs in
France two francs, or forty cents-four
times the American price. But in order
swindling and that the retailer will not
have a chance to run in it's own little
local swindle on you, the government
does one good thing. 1t prints on every
package of tobacco or bunch of cigar
cites the price that is to be paid.
The tobacco shops of France are gov
ernment offices and are filled with de-
ltrhn hau ole fhn
government, as for instance, the widow
of a soldier who has died in the service
of his country. These tobacco shops
are few, as compared with the number
found in English or American cities.
They are also practically sub-post-of-
fees, as they sell stamps and weigh
your letters and papers. At the door of
most of the tobacco shops are letter
boxes.
Herein lies a hint to the United States
Government. There is loud complaint
after every election that there are not
enough post-offices for the patriots of
the party to fill. Let the Government
take over the tobacco shops of the
United States. Abraham Lincoln said,
when threatened with the smallpox,
that if he took it he would have some
thing to give every ofiice-seeker. 1t the
United States Government absorbed the
tobacco business it would be almost as
we'll fixed as Lincoln. In most large
cities there are thousands of tobacco
shops to one post-office or one customs
house. This is a good chance for the
Government
But, unless it wants to stir up a re-
bellion, let it not attempt to manufact-
ure the tobacco.-Detroit Free Press.