The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-02-10
THE RANEFUL CIGARETTE
Like the Canker in the Bud it Cor
rupts Young and inexperienced.
A GREATER cUR:E THAN wHsKtY
An Appeal 10 Law Makers Eho Can at One
Touch Practically Destroy the Evil. +"
Upon Their Heads Rtsis
the Responsibility"
the Responsibility
To the Editor:

the Responsibility"
To the Editor
| There could be no severer satire upon
The unpracticalness, the futility of much
of our morality and wisdom. as embodied
in church and State. than the fact that
church and State are practically obllvious
| of the greatest evil that besets this gem
| Grafton. And by church and state l mean
| respectively our religious and political or
ganizatons as whole While today a
thousand North Carolina pulpits illuminate
| against, and a hundred North Carolina
| Solcns enact against evil, the most dan
| gerous evil of the day passes virtually
unchahenged. That too. an evil which
between the body polite and the body
| spiritual could be crushed as between the
upper and neither milestone
! This evil is the cigarette habit, or slav-
! cry. which is enchanting not only the
| youth but The very childhood OF the land.
Many reasons are given why tobacco is
more harmful in this form than any other.
| Whatever the reasons are, whether that
! opiates are mingled with he tobacco 20
| increase at cnce it's pleasurable effect and
its hold upon the victim whether that
! this harm lies in the paper wrapper;
whether il is in the temptation which
it gives to lung inhalation whether its
convenient form facilitates its conceal
ment by boys aul its greatly incorporate
use by all, it matters not. The terrible
| fact that tae cigarette is the most insid-
ious the most potent, the most frequent
instrument Of decentralization now at work
in our MIDST. stares us in the face turn
where we may.
Like the canber in the bud it is cor
rupting those who are al once most sus-
ccptble TO its banefu influence and too
young and inexperienced TO realize the
fearful consequences thai must follow. In
word u is stultfying demoralizing and
degrading the boys ana children at fear
ful rate Not a community not a village,
scarcely a household. in the State is free
from this blighting curse. X is vicious
habit that leads to all other vicious hab-
it's Ii is a door TO all vice
It's effect especially upon the young is
suspiciously like that of opium smoking.
Energy Of mind aGd body rapidly sue
cunts The moraLsense Is soon impaired
and finally destroyed A strange and
hideous senility usurps the place of youth
Then heroic measures can alone avert in
sanity There can be no doubt that Gig
arctic smoking is the most fruitful source
OF insanity that now exists in our midst
The worst wards in the insane asylums
Of the State and Of the country, bear evi"
dence OF its power to damn mind. soul
and body.
Whiskey was long held to be the su-
preme evil Of our civilization, and lastly
So But even this curse is over topped by
greater one-the cigarette. Go 10 tho
obseryant member OF any community, 80
10 the conscientious teachers OF boys,
above ali 20 TO that infallible mentoF the
mothers heart. and ask whence flows che
1eerest. the broadest, the strongest tide
Of evil. the tide they find hardest 70 stem,
and they viii answer the cigarette habit.
1t is worse than the drink habit because
il is not only seductive and more in
sidioua but infinitely more enslavng. u
not only ensnares the easier but also
grips the stronger Moreover 1t promotes
thirst for drink as nothing else does
Both by temperament and by environ
ment the Southern youth is peculiarly ey-
oosed TO danger from such dissipation
Being OF a nervous. high strung race they
are more easily captivated and more
deeply harmed by such things Those re-
siding in rural communities. or in small
towns more or less given over TO mon
otony. they are more apt 10 seek escape
in anodvnes ard soothing agents that
promise to tighten and brighten this
monotony.
An unaccountable lethargy possesses
rs in respect to this new but crowning
curse. But in saying what ! have,
Snow that voice the sentiments Of the
best and most observant people in the
State appeal 10 these 10 take prompt
steps to protect our youth from this habit
that is so fast working the undoing OF
It's most promising members. appeal 10
all whether as religious CT secular teach
ags and admonish them 10 bend their ener-
yies against it in all possible ways Above
all I appeal 20 our law makers who can at
me touch practically destroy the evil, 10
act promptly and fearlessiy, For while
most Of the legislation against whiskey
is futile. # Is perfectly practicable TO
place the cigarette beyond the reach Of
the boys and children Of the state. Win
cur legislators lies the remedy Upon
their heads rests the responsibility that
this demon OF nicotine, opium or what
ever II is that is masqueradiBg in the lur
ing guise OF the cigarette. is not driven
beyond our borders.
o. ". BLACKNALL.
Kittrell. y c