The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-11-24
WHO Pa Us FOR THE
TOBACCO?

Editor of Montpelier Daily Journal:
Noticing in one of the State Papers
a recent account of the strike" by
the inmates Of the House of Correc-
ton, on Monday, because owing to
the storm their usual supply of tobac-
co had been cut off, L would like to
inquire, for the benefit of myself and
others-"Who pays for this tobacco,
the State or the prisoner ?''
If the former, do they also supply
liquor as part of the necessary ra-
tions? If the latter, is it not a Sc
rious financial burden, that could we'll
be dispensed with and thereby give
h,s family and and his creditors the
| benefit 20
Does someone ask, why discuss
the tobacco habit anyhow, when it is
the solaoe of rich and poor alike and
is enjoyed by the greater part of the
male population OF the world?" l
reply: Because OF the very import
ance of the theme -
realize there are men who have
smoked all their lives, and are not
physically dead yet. / also realize
that crime is said to be increasing in
this country five times as fast as the
population increases. There must be
some cause for this condition.
Medical and scientific testimony for
over 400 years agree in saying, tobacco
undermines the health, thus destroy
ing to some extent all the God given
faculties. Prominent men who are
studying sociological questions, tell
us for fact that seventy five per cent
of all crime in this country; is due to
the effect of liquor and tobacco. DR..
James II, Jackson even goes so far as
to say that he believes tobacco is
sapping the moral and physical found
ations of our own race, even more
than is alcohol. One college profess
sor tells of his personal experience
with boys and young men in the
schools: / find two-thirds of the
young men who fail in their examna-
tions, use tobacco, and nine tenths Of
those who use liquor began with
tobacco.
Believing and knowing these state
ments to be true, Christian education
al institutions are refusing to give
financial aid to students who smoke,
Tor drink. Our national schools at
West Point and Annapolis have ex-
cluded tobacco on both sanitary and
moral grounds. The Same is true of
many other schools and colleges in the
country, and it is said no tobacco
user ever yet graduated at the head
OF his class at Harvard University.
The Massachusetts General Hospital
recently ascribed eight cases of insan-
fly to the use of tobacco and it is said
this is getting to be common state
of affairs. Former generations who
have used the weed are thus cursing
and weakening the present and future
generations
1t is also claimed that we are, like
Germany, becoming specialized
| NNSioht p-ShubO u udblOu VI sl1lOkbTs.
| Wide awake business men are now
preferring employees who do not use
tobacco, giving as their reason, that
the action of the brain is retarded
and muddled." Railroad employees
are forbidden to use the weed while
on duty. School boards are rejecting
| teachers because of it,
The police of Chicago while on
duty are forbidden to use it, on pen
atty of immediate dismissal as we'll
rs employees in some of the large
| hotels of the same city. A German
tells us he can drink twice as much
beer, in an evening, if he smokes, as
he can IL he doesn't, ard we know
that there are very few drinking men,
| If any, who do not smoke. Conse-
| quently he who smokes may drink
he, too, may become immoral, later
may gamble, may steal and so in
time get into prison.
Moral-Iu the face OF all these
facts is it wise to furnish the prisoner
| with tobacco-at his own expense. or
| at the expense of the State?
Mrs. e. j Parmelee.
Enosburgh Falls, Nov. 10.