The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-02-12
NJ ASUFACTURERS AND ORGANS
FIGHTING FOR THE CIGARETTE

The Winston Tobacco journal attacks
the cigarette bill before the legislature.
1t says h planters oppose. We do not
credit this, but if true they are selfish.
If it Injuries and kills youth to make
the deadly cigarette then the benevo-
lent and merciful farmer will not de-
sire its manufacture All along the
news has come to us hat Granville
farmers had been we'll nigh ruined by
the American Tobacco trust. We be-
1ieve it is true. The Reidsville Weekly,
ed~itoriaily one of the ablest of the
North Carolina craft, by Colonel John
r. Webster, a few days ago said this:
"The trouble with the cigarette is
that there is no such thing as mod
GRAFTON in it's use. The poison is
drawn into the lungs and poisons the
blood All cigarette smokers inhale
n Smoke-that is the distinctive fea-
ture Of the habit.
Reid lille is a tobacco town. and
public sentiment is overwhelmingly in
Y of the passage of an act prohib-
lt1ng the sale Of cigarettes. We believe
IL Is he same all over the state save
perhaps in one or two places where
they are manufactured"
Of the cry like that in the above Or
gan, that is sent out, that a law to shut
out the cigarettes will seriously injure
the farmers, Colonel Webster says
this:
But we heal the plea that to pro-
hibit the sale of cigarettes in North
Carolina will injure the farmers of the
bright tobacco belt. Yes. every lob
byist at Raleigh is working in the in
sterest Of the farmer. The bill will not
hurt the manufacturer. Oh, TO. Well,
If the manufacturer makes as many
cigarettes as ever, he will need as much
leaf as ever, if we can see straight.
The fact is that the farmers have little
TO fear on this score"
Be not deceived. The cigarette Hills
and men get rich out of it. That the
boys all over the state are being very
much injured by the deadly poison is
true and patent to all but selfish people
interested. Rev DR.. Crawford who
edits the organ of the Methodist Wes-
tern North Carolina conference, and is
a minister of high character and good
abilities, lately wrote for his paper this
in part:
Almost every week articles, PAM
phletS and books reach us purporting
u give the evil ellcClS VI CISdIcllSS III
the human system n setting forth
the sure disastrous results that will
certainly follow their constant use.
Yet everywhere we go we see boys
from > to 6 vars old, up, in groups n
alone, pulling away on cigarettes. On
the streets, around railway lines, at the
churches, going to AMI coming from
School-at all hours of the day and
night-they are drinking in the poison.
Every day we are grieved at what
we see n ask ourselves the question,
is there any way to remedy this evil?
Is there no way to save our boys from
a habit that will certainly blight their
lives and blast the hopes of fond parz
entS."
What he say hundreds of good people
all about know to be unqualifiedly true.
When leading railroads in self-protec-
ton are compelled to shut out from
all employment all cigarette smokers it
was plain that even men were being
Sorely injured and rendered unsafe
and incompetent. The Baptists have a
we'll edited weekly published at the
Thomasville Children's Home, called,
Charity and Children. We get the
following from the Reidsville Weekly
as from the paper mentioned: w
have no doubt in the world that the
cigarettes destroy five boys where
whiskey kills one. One reason for this
is that it is unpopular for a youth to
drink whiskey, but quite the thing for
him to smoke a cigarette"
We notice that out in Wisconsin a
Mrs. Tracy sues for divorce and her
contention is that her man, Rolly, is a
Cigarette fend." A good III if the
Bible is to be shut out and the>husband
is really that sort of fellow. The judge
granted the plea as Rolly confessed
his sins and plead guilty. 1t is a fact
tina all about the cigarette is becom-
ing popular with some women. The
Jacksonville. Times Union is disposed to
get fun out Of this incident, and thinks