Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1897-09-24
Defective Education, and the
CigaretLe Habit.

On July 8, Frank Eyck, young
man in Elizabeth, N. j., induced
the police authorities to lock him in
Jail, SO that he could not get cigar
cites. He began smoking at 10, and
at 26 found himself nervous wreck,
with will weak and the appetite so
strong that he could not resist the
temptation to smoke so long as it
was possible for him to get cigar
ettes. lie has of late been smoking
from eight to ten packages day,
and within three years his constitu-
ton has given way, the once robust
body is reduced to that of a skeleton;
he is SO nervous he can scarcely
hold glass OF water, and his head
pains necessarily, He was led to APP
ply to the police for cell to keep
him beyond temptation after read
Ing the sad case OF John Bissell, a
popular graduate of Princeton Col
lege, and one of the most popular
young men of Elisabeth, who be
came insane and died on July Z it
was thought as a result of excess
i've cigarette smoking. Bissell lately
smoked twenty packages q day,
and it is said they produced men
nights. The fate OF his fellow towns
man startled young Eyck. He de
termined to drop the habit, b ut
learned to his dismay that he no
longer had sufficient will power to
do SO if the temptation was within
his reach. / have recently read OF
a number OF cases of insanity, ner-
vous prostration, and suicides where
the producing cause was said by
physicians and those intimate with
the unfortunates to be the cigarette
habit. / notice that active steps are
being taken in many quarters to
prevent the spread of the evil by
legislation, and while l strongly ia
vor measurers of this kind | would
point out something far more
effective and of wider scope and
greater value in dealing with this
evil than restrictive legislation. Il
in the schools and homes our young
people received the sound moral OF
ethical education, which they neeo
far more than intellectual training
there would be little need for res
trictive laws, and a much higher
standard of manhood ana woman
hood would be developed. Nothing
Is so vital to the individual or to so
ciety as well-developed character
a strong sense of right and tht
courage to live up to ones highss
ideals. Nothing is SO much neglect
ed in home, church and school az
this moral or ethical training, which
arouses the conscience, stimulates
every noble impulse, and teaches
self-mastery or the absolute suprem
acy of the spiritual nature over tn
animal propensities, passions anC
appetites. Teach the youth the es
sential crimirality OF spendin!
money for cigarettes, the usa o
which undermines the physical
mental and moral nature; show HIN
that in the light OF the higher Law
he has no right to squander money
for that which is not only of 10 bene
fit. but which is positively harmful
to him. while thousands of his fel
low. beings are slowly starving tx
death; show him that duty to him
self and society demands that h'
avoid this and other evil habits
that he live up to his higher ideal:
and develop all that is nohlest in
his nature. Impress these lessons
on the young when the brain is re-
ceptive and a long step will be
taken toward a brighter civilization
Tho New Time.