The Mena star. (Mena, Ark.) 1898-1904, 1898-09-07
HAD BECOME SLAVES.
proohecy Concerning the Use of
Tobacco.

caa;np that men VINO prOfeSSed to be
ants of the Most High had corrupt
themselves and become filthy and
sAominable, great aud wise prophet
'.ood up and did prophesy these words
..r.th and soberness: Then shall
-. L;ncdom of Satan be libened unto
rain Of tobacco seed, which, though
ssceedingly small, being cast into the
s.rth grew exceedingly and become
s.oot plant and stretched forth its
..res rank and broad, SO that the
h0oe and vile worms, with horns on
nam. even on their tails, came aud
,orned habitation thereon, aud did
.uovl all over and leave their slime
and filth thereon.
And it came to pass in those days
hat the sons of men did look upon
his rank and filthy plant, and were
rsrv much enamored Herewith and
AID think it was beautiful TO behold,
and plant very much to be desired
u make boys big and manly. And it
farther came To pass that men, claim.
mo to be nice men, did put forth their
hands and pulled the heads off these
filthy looking worms and left their
bodjes still sticking to the tobacco leaf
that the leaf mis- ht be rich by the juice
thereof. and having cut these filthy
nants and smoked them even with an
exceeding great smoke, and cured, and
nrised, and wrought the leaves thereof
into curious shapes and forms and the
sons of men gave gold and silver for it
and did chew thereof And some that
ehewed thereof, it made sick at stom
ach aud others made their heads to
ache. and still others to spit and vomit
most fithily; but for all this they con-
tinued to chew thereof And it came
10 pass that those who continued to
chew become exceedingly manly and
exclaimed. 1--WE are enslaved and
cannot cease from chewiDg!' and the
mouths Of a who were enslaved be-
came filthy and foul, insomuch that
they we're seized with violent spit
ting and they did spit even in ladies'
parlors and on their floors and carpets,
and being wholly abandoned to the
use Of the plant, they even invaded the
sacred precincts of the house of the
Almighty, and there, they did come
with prayer on their lips and tobacco
in their mouths, and sang and prayed
and pl cached, and chewed and spurted
the filthy juice on the floor of the
Lords house and under the pews, and
against the walls, and in the pulpit,
and did drop their guilds of tobacco al
over the floor of the house of the most
high God, and would return home and
say I'VE have worshiped God to-day
Bat some of the saints of the Most
High were not well pleased with the
conduct, but chewers caring not Tor
these things continued to chew and
spit where they pleased.
And in the course Of time it came to
pass that this rank and filthy plant
was ground into dust, even the stalks
and stems and filth thereof, and was
called snuff, and it came to pass ladies
-even beautiful and fair ladies did
make unto themselves brushes and
mops and dipped the same into the
nth called snuff, and did put these !
hlthy mops into their mouths and
would rub and scrub nightly and spit
and sneeze and ca II the same dipping
ana again 1T came to pass, that the
leaves of this plant were cunnlngly
wrought into little round rolls called
cigars, and the sons of men did set fire
% one end thereof put the other end
INTO their mouths and suck nightly,
even as calves suck, and did look very
grave and calf-lilze, and the smoke of
1neir torment ascendeth forever.
And the cultivation thereof became
amighty business in the earth and the
merchants and spectators waxed rich
thereby.
AMI it came to pass that the saints
u the most high defiled themselves
herewith, even the poor, who could
moi ooy bread, nor shoes, nor religious
newspapers, nor school books for their
, a,'i ones, would spend money for the
ullhy plant and chew and spit while
'helr families suffered. And the Lord
way greatly displeased herewith and
sa'o' Wherefore do you spend your