The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-15


Of the War Revenue Reduction bill in
the House OF Representatives yesterday
was the speech of Mr.. otey on the sub
ject of tobacco. Mr.. Otey said in part:
Il had not intended to ask the indul-
gence of the House On this bill, but ]
find that in the glamour of our military
prestige one very important measure is
about to be overlooked.
| mir. Chairman. ii is in vain that we
appeal for reduction of tax on tobacco
tobacco which is mere universally used
among mankind than any other one thing
except the most ordinary articles of food
| SSO,0G0,00O of the earth's inhabitants Use
| it. while G00,G0a.000 use tea $4,000, 0Go use
opium. and loo. 0o0, OGO use coffee, statistics
on whisky not being Just now at hand.
iApplausc.] So my appeal for the relief
OF the man who follows the plow and
hoes the tobacco hill being in vain, l ap-
peal for him who, on the sanguinary fields
of Cuba, was forgot by you When our
soldiers narshaled against Spain the sol
der and sailor were soon reminded that
there was great deficiency in providing
for their comforts and welfare. In 10
particular was this made more manifest
than the deficiency, viz: In not providing
I tobacco for them. Encouraged by the hope
that nothing would be left undcne to sus
tain him in his heroism and supply his
wants in his patriotism, l introduced the
| following bill:
| Be il enacted. etc, That the weekly
| ration OF tobacco for all enlisted men in
| the army and navy during the continuance
! OF the present war shall be enc and two
thirds ounces of smoking tobacco and two
ounces of chewing tobacco IApplause.1
| ut failed when the Army bill came he lore
the House. and Sc | introduced it the next
session. or December 4. 1899, and it sleeps
in the Committee On Military Affairs. II
| is 4 fact that there is no solace in camp
| life or on ship board like the pipe and
nothing slaves off hunger and thirst like
| the cnew OF tobacco. ILaughterl
Mr.. Chairman, it is customary to re-
| fer to the fathers. in politics. religion, and
business. We revere The opinions of those
who have gone before. We hear great men
| Of the past as witnesses. So in the matter
| of tobacco / will not Geviate from the
| time hoDored custom. From its earliest
| discovery tobacco has been considered
curative. We speak of narcotic poison as if
| it would kill on sight and yet what is
known as solanine in the potato is an acrid
narcotic poison, two grains of which pro-
! duces paralysis in a rabbit in two hours.
So says DR.. Emanuel Gardiner London, a
| practitioner Of 'physicke' in 1870 and Dr.
| John Neander. in Leyden, 1922 Hariot-
you all know who Hariot is [laughterl-
who joined Sir Walter Raleigh. 1854. wrote
! in 1858 true report OF the new found
| land Of Virginia. Speaking of 'Uppowoe,'
| called afterward tobacco he said:
They use the leaves to take the fumes
or smoke thereof by sucking through
! pipes into the stomach and head, from
whence it purged superfiuous .'fleames"
and other gross hurnors; it opened the
| pores and passages Of the body. by which
means the use thereof not only preseryeth
the body from distractions. whereby their
bodies are notably preserved in health and
| knows not many grievous dis asses where
| with all We in England are oftimes af-
| fected.' (Applausc.l
This Is one reason why we should abro-
| gate the aGti-snoking rule in this House
the fumes of tobacco thus neutralizing the
| carbonic acid gas. which is heavier than
air and which is always exhaled from the
/! human system while breathing, every
ounce of which falling from these gal
leries is inhaled by us, than which no
deadlier poison could enter our frames.
| IApplause.1
Il hope / will no, be interrupted with
applause, as / have only fifteen minutes.
Further on they say:
Since our return we have found many
rare and wonderful experiments of the
virtues of tobacco. of which the relation
would require volume by itself. The use
of it by so many men and women Of great
calling and some learned physicians is
sufficient witness
''Fairholt says-of course, no member Of
Congress is unfamiliar with Fairholt.
ILaughtcr.I
ut was TO the sanitary effects of to-
bacco that the honorable introduction in
Europe was due. Queens. kings, and car
dinals bowed to TIE dictum of physicians
who seemed to look upon the plant as a
divine remedy for most diseases and so
speedily propounded cures for all that flesh
is heir to from various applications and
it was christened Huba Ppnacea or Huba
Santa Laughter and applause.1
"Old poets note the curative virtues of
tobacco.
"Spenser in his Fairy Queen where he
makes Belphoebe include it as in other
medicinal herbs gathered by Timais says:
Into tho woods henccforth she went
To seek for herbs that mote him remedy
Then whether il divine tobacco were
Or panacbasa polygony,
She found and brought it 10 her patient dear,
Who all the while lay bleeding out his heart
blood near.
after this can anybody deny tobacco
rations to the defender of our country.
our flag. our honor, both on land and sea?
ILorg applause.1
Henry ButteS-his name is familiar
[laughterl-in his pamphlet entitled
Diets dry dinner, 1893. treats of the viz
tues of tobacco as digestive power, says:
Fruits. herbs. flesh, fish, white nuts, spices,
sauce, all,
Concoct all By the tobacco cordial.
GLaughter.l
He adds:
.'Its fumes are good against "Rumes"
catarrh, hoarseness, ache in the head,
stomach, lungs, and breast
Gardner QUOTED hefore), in his Trial
OF Tobacco speaking of patient who
could hardly breathe md was given up by
other physicians, sale:
Directed him to take tobacco in
fume, and little by little he recovered his
former strength. II is an urgent to take |
away all pains OF the govt
[Applausel
.Reimain analysed 1t. / will not insult |
your intelligence by saying who Remain |
was. [Laughterl Ten thousand parts of |
tobacco cases contain:
% Six parts nicotine, l part nicotianne,
2s7 parts butter eXtractur [bitter extrac-
tivel, ia parts gum mixed with malic !,
acid, 2G.7 parts Of green resin, IL parts
malate of ammonia, IS parts sulphide of
potash, CO parts chloride OF potassium.
e.5 parts potassa which has been com
bined with maltic and nitric acid 166
parts phosphate Of lime, 24.2 parts lime
which has been combined with malic acid
SIS parts Of silica, 1863 parts of febiores
or ligenens matter, SS.2S parts of water.
traces of starch.
After this exposition, can you have 1t
in your heart TO refuse this boon to the
xUhn kapns |