Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-05-09
THE CIGARETTE EVIL.
Earnest Plea Against an Insidious Habit
of Baneful Effects.

EarneSt Iled aSdiiHe hh A"o'"""" -.'
of Baneful Effects.
Editor of The Yorkvlllc Enquirer:
heg space in your paper to discuss
briefly, what I believe to be one of the
great evils of our country. If | were
asked the question, "What is the
greatest evil that our country is cursed
with?" 1 would, without hesitancy
answer, whisky. But there is another
evil that ranks high in the category
and the one to which desire to call
attention is the cigarette.
Now it is not necessary for me to 60
into details to prove that the smoking
of cigarettes is an injurious habit to
both mind and body. That is set
tied and undisputed fact. We have
only to look around US to see the
mighty hold this evil is getting on the
youth of our country, and its injurious
effect.
And it is not practiced in the towns
alone, as some suppose. 1t has spread
over the country and is growing rapid
ly. Go to any public gathering in the
country and you will see the small boy
with knee pants ON putting away at his
cigarette. This matter needs agita'
tion and needs it bad. 1t is alarming
to note the rapidity with which the
evil is growing. Fifteen or twenty
years ago, when the writer was a
mere boy, it was a rare thing to see a
boy smoking a cigarette, especially in
the country. Now, you cannot 60 to
church on the Sabbath day without
having the offensive smoke of the Gig.
arctic puffed in your face by the
small boys, and the larger ones also.
1t is sad sight to see the bright
youth of our land inhaling the deadly
smoke of the cigarette, and all the
more sad when we remember that in
few more years they must, with their
brain befogged with smoke, take up
the reins of government and stand
where our fathers now stand. A few
years ago l talked with boy, OF
young man, who was an excessive Gig
arctic smoker. He boasted proudly
of the number he could smoke in day
and said he did not think they hurt
him. | noticed that he had a dry
hacking cough, and called his atten'
ton to it. He said it bothered him a
great deal; but he did not think it was
caused from smoking. He exhibited
other unmistakeable evidences Of the
fact that cigarettes were sapping his
very life from him but he knew it not
And so it is. The victim is not
aware of his condition until he wakes
up, as it were, and finds himself Il slave
to the habit with very little, if any
hopes of freedom from it. There is nc
doubt of the fact that numbers oi
young men who today are total wrecks
both mentally and physically, from
the use Of cigarettes, would otherwise
have been bright, intelligent and use
ful men. a few more years will roll
by and all our county, state and nat
ional offices will he filled by what is
now the youth of our land. Bright
and intelligent men are required to
properly discharge the duties of these
Offices and not men whose minds and
bodies have been poisoned by the
deadly cigarette. From the youth of
our country must come our business
and professional men.
And in view of these facts, the great
est possible care should he observed as
to the habits and trainings of our
youth. Although this is an expensive