The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-09
UnIustifiable Assaults ON Women.

According to Mrs. HELEN L. BULLOCK.
the Superintendent Of the Department Of
Narcotics Of tho Woman's Christian Tenn
perance Union. the practice Of cigarette
smoking Is prevalent among women.
Thousands Of our bright girls" she says.
"are numbered among the victims"
The same statement has often been made
oflate in certain newspapers. It Is declared
that the Princess Of WALES Is an habitual
smoker Of cigarettes, and it Is even asserted
that many English women go so far as
to smoke pipes. Imaginative correspond
ents Of rural journals ore fond Of describ-
ing the habit Of cigarette smoking as fire.
quent and rapidly increasing among tho
ladies Of New York. and tobacconists are
reported as acknowledging that much Of
their most profitable custom comes from
women. Yet everybody knows from per-
sonal observation that the practice Of smok-
ing Is as rare among women as 1t is usual
among men. It Is not an evil against which
1t is necessary to organize any reform
movement for feminine benefit.
Undoubtedly there are some women who
smoke tobacco. but the number proper
tlonately is smaller than 1t was formerly.
Fifty years ago the use Of the pipe was fire.
quent among the women Of New England
even. the wives OF farmers, for instance. An
old woman smoking her pipe was often seen
in New England villages. especially where
they were remote from the centres of civili-
zatlon. and in the prints of that day.
whether published in England or this coun-
try. we find such scenes depicted as charao-
teristic Of rural life. Snuff taking also was
frequent feminine practice. as Is
shown by the great number Of SNUFF
boxes handed down by the ladies of
that generation. Almost every family
which prides itself on q colonial descent
boasts Of tho possession Of such articles.
The Indications therefore are that the use
of the stimulant was then far moro general
among women than 1t is now. It has in
creased among mon. but 1t has diminished
among women. 30 that at present female
victim Of the habit attracts attention as a
novelty. Tho fashion Of this day Is against
the use Of tobacco in any form by women.
and they have outgrown dependence on the
stimulsnt. Whatever other improvements
In society may be requisite. It seems to be
obvious that there Is now no crying de-
mand for reform In the feminine habits in
this particular. Tobacco smoking IL not
frequent enough among the women Of this
day to be an evil with which society Is called
upon to give itself serious concern. The
practice has died out Of it's own motion.
rather than sprung up anew.
Mrs. BULLOCK. however. touched on a
more important matter when she referred
to the habit OF gum chewing. She Ia prob
ably oversuspicious when she says that the
gum contains opium. for opium Is an ex-
pensive drug. and the self-interest OF the
gum manufacturers would prevent their
using it. The really forclble argument
against tho practice Is that 1t Is ungraceful.
unbeooming In women. and serious do
traction from their charms. girl may be
very beautiful In form and feature. and she
may possess an inf1nitude OF moral allure
ments. but II she chews gum she spoils
them all. It is impossible to pursue the
habit gracefully. In man or In woman It Is
always unseemly.
Mrs. BULLOCK asserts that elk millions of
dollars are expended annually by the young
women Of the metropolis for chewing gum.
Estimating their number at one million.
that would DO six dollars apiece every year.
and 1t would imply that they chewed on
the average an enormous amount OF the
article. It cannot be possible that 30 many
OF them disregard the laws OF beauty and
propnety. So far as our observation goes.
tho practice Is decreasing rather than grow
ing. but to the extent 1t exists. 1t furnishes
legitimate object OF assault for the femi-
nine reformers. Yet as to women In gen
eral We protest against any movement for
their reform. They are now lust what We