The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-16
a GROWING SENTIMENT AS TO
CIGARETTE MANUFACTURE.

education. Others may swerve or ig-
more, but The Messenger stands for the
education of the people. 1t holds that
the safety of our free institutions
greatly depends upon real and generous
education. while a little learning is
IL dangerous thing because it initiates
a. youngling and makes him assume
airs and attitude of one Of the omnis-
cient tribe, a genuine education and
unnch knowledge give power, influence
and service worth much to a state.
Really well informed men are not apt
10 be Dontifcal in bearing and swollen
after the frog-style. They know their
limitations, and they are not believ-
ers in infallibility.
The Messenger is not only the friend
of education, but is always on the side
of morality. 1t would help the farm
ers, it would help society, it would
specially aid and inspire the youth of
our state anxious for educational &C
QUESTION, striving after success. seek
ing to emulate the best examples be-
fore them, filed with high aspirations
based upon good models and sound in
~struction. 1t would protect them in
their morals and their health. Hence,
ii has Warred mercilessly upon the dis
gusting foot ball rOwdyism. 1t is now
fighting the cigarette trust and its
oaieful effects. 1t has greatly injured
the m as we have mentioned.
The testimony of the tobacco ware
house men is hat it cut down the
prices Of the farmers lot less than 70
per cent. upon the class of tobacco
used by the cigarette trust. The Mes
senger more than once gave the state
ments of physicians and others as to
the deIeterious effects of cigarette
srnoking-how it greatly injured and
often killed it's victims.
In Wilmington almost every other
boy you meet between IA and IS smokes
cigarettes-scores of them putting
away. They do. not know what they
are doing-what~ injuries to themselves
they are invoking.
In the last Legislature Judge Sutton,
a member from Cumberland, introduce
ed a bill that ought to have passed. 1t
sought to prohibit the sale and manu-
facture of cigarettes in this state. 1t
Jared as so many other good and need
ed bills have Jared. 1t was so emascu-
lated by amendments-so shorn OF its
power for good, that it was abandoned.
What did it? The bold, powerful lob
by" was on hand. 1t was active and
had the money bag.
But if defeated in 1897, it is to be
$1,000 III. Golt will mot ha a h1 n6OnpO.
Reforms come slowly, generally. 1t
takes time to educate the conscience
to fill the mind with facts, to remove
mems prejudices and to arouse to
lurking dangers. The evil is own
il, unmistakable and must be soon or
late extirpated root and branch. 1t
will give the churches a pang OF pam
rerhaps. and make educational institute
xions groan, but it is a sin against Coo
and humanity and true p~hllanthro-
pists, God-honoring men,faithful citi-
zens must unite and smite hip and
thigh the Cigarette Monster
What say the northern medical writ
eTs of distinction? They have often
pointed out the evils n dangers OF
cigarette smoking. Are our North
Caroline doctors silent? By no means.
some of the most Intelligent and the
mple equipped have spoken. we
are able to give some opinions, and
she nhvsicians who speak are worthy
of attention, for they speak from
knowledge and observation. Hear
what they ~:
DIR. Lyle, a very Intelligent physician
from Macon in the last legislature, says
THAT within his knowledge and obser-
walton there were fully twenty deaths
each year directly traceable to this
vicious and deadly habit. DR.. Murphy,
of the Western hospital for the insane
at Morganton, says that Boys had
been sent to that Institution for treat
snent. DIR. Hall, a Baptist minister,
who formerly resided at Raleigh. said
a. few months ago to a gentleman,
that he knew of boys in Raleigh who
had been made blind and insane from
this habit, and others who had died
from it's effects
A we'll informed gentleman writes Us
chat he made something of a canvass
Hast winter in Raleigh. The result was
this as he gives it:
EVERY medical man, Of whom 1 got
information, resident physicians of
Raleigh. and members of the legiSla-
ture-of which there We're quite a
number, all concurred in the state
xnent, tina the cigarette was a deadly
poison, from nicotine. and that the
habit was fearfully on the increase.
Last. but by no means least, 1 a a
long letter from DR.. R.. II. Lewis, sec
reSary of the state board of health, in
1Enich he gave facts n figures, and
rnnch valuable and interesting data, all
showing the deadly nature of this pol
son from cigarette
This comes from a highly respectable
source, was written for our eye, and
not for publication. 1t is too instruc-
Give and awakening to be kept to our
selves. 1t must arouse something of
public interest. There are no doubt