The Washington times., 1902-06-10

1as given considerable time and study
20 the work CT routing the cigarette cut
x the schools. said yesterday In dis
usslng the matter:
Il do not look upon the cigarette in
the HANDS of the public schocl boys SO
much in the liCht of cause as OF an
effect. l cannot. in the majority OF
cases. point out to the parent of a boy
who is strongly addicted to the use Of
cigarettes and has failed in his stu.iies
that Johnny failed in his lessons pure
y because he smoked too many cigar
cites While smoking. | honestly he
!ieve. is to a certain extent the cause
# his failure. the very evil of his smok-
ing is itself more an effect OF something
clse-a woetul weakness in the boy
han it IS the cause of his failure.
Weakness of Character.
This weakness of character and lack
IF moral stamina on the part OF the boy
who smokes cigarettes to excess is not
only the diroc; Gauge CT his smoking.
but is largely the cause of his failure in
his studies. These cigarette fends show
a weakness OF character which leads
them to give vent to their pent-up feel
!nSs. and az the same time robs them of
Che pcwer for close mental or physical
application to their work. They take UP
smoking as a means of giving express
sion to that spirit which must work cut
Of them in some manner. and at the
same time they have not the ability to
apply themselves to their work. While
Il is perfectly true that these inveteTate
smoke RS among the boys are far less
capable of doing work of the same stand
ard Of excellence as the boys who re-
frain from the use OF tobacco. | think
from, observation that it would be wrong
TO say thet the deficiency is entirely due
TO the ciga rette smoking. Cigarettes .
alarminely injurious to
bcy, but ! am OF the opinion
hat their harmful effects are very much
overrated. In the majority of cases
where cigarettes arc blamed for a boys
failure in some task. | think the true
cause of his failure is more deeply root
I'd and that 1t lies liz the very weakness
which permits him 20 be a habitual
smoker
Home Surroundings.
81 an also of the opinion that much of
Ibis moral and character weakness is
lue to lack of proper circumstances in |
he homes Boys are petted in thou
sand and one little matters by thei; |
parents and in various other ways; such |
circumstances are brought to bear upo-
hem in the home as are anything but |
conducive to the formation OF strong. |
manly character and healthy morals. |
when they come into con-
tact with the temptation to smoke and |
indulge in other vices OF a similar
haracter they have not the backbone |
Or power to refuse. 1t is undoubtedly |
his same weakness that makes them
unable to knuckle down to their work |
and causes them to fail in their studies
1t school.
Looking at the matter in this light
regard the actual smoking as very
much less the cause of failure or weak
less on the part OF the cigarette fiend
than the character or moral defects
ITO such a boy. however the influ-
,nce exerted By the numerous boys Ia
he public schools who smoke is ex-
.remely bad But there appears to be |
IF this habit
Il cen safely say that % per cent OF |
he boys in the public schools are ad- |
licted to the use CT tobacco to a great |
,r or less extent And fully ) per cent |
IF the boys are habitual smokers. OF the |
;ariety that are commonly termed |
cigarette tends This smoking habit
,mong the pupils does not exist to a
greater extent in one school than it
.oes IN another. The habit is general"