The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-03-26

eutOI OI tue HaDlC.
i I have never known a smoker tc
begin the inhaling habit with cigar
or pipe, but nearly every cigaret in
haler soon extends his operations SC
that in comparatively short time he
includes pipe and cigars in his abnor.
NAL and dangerous manner of indulg-
ing in what might be comparatively
harmless habit.
| What is the explanation of this ex-
traordinary campaign against this
vice in London? 1t is simply that
they have walked up to the importance
of some concerted effort to lessen an
evil that has already shown itself in
the deterioration of the health and
usefulness of the youth of that coun-
try. The same situation is present in
I the United States.
A few years ago it was the privilege
of the writer of this article to render
some service in connection with the
administration of the public school
system of his city. During the period
covered by that service several of the
principals in the public schools COM
planned of condition that it was
difficult for them to understand.
Boys of ten twelve and fourteen years
of age, naturally bright, were OBJ.
served to be losing the power of con-
centration and application of mind.
| MorxyO,.cx,ocCt 1sc<1oce&1oee o,11 - %o..
dency to truancy were associated with
the names OF nearly every one of
them. It was found that nearly all
the incorrigible truants were cigaret
fiends; that is to say, they were al
most hopelessly addicted to the in
haling habit. Their nerves were
shattered, and the value of public
school instruction was greatly lessen
ed in their cases. Further investiga-
ton disclosed the fact that very many
of these boys stole money from their
parents, or sold all sorts of articles
that they could lay their hands on,
in order that they could crafty an
appetite that fed on its own indul-
gence.
A Justice of the Supreme Court of
this State, since deceased, told me
that in the last year that he was
practicing at this bar, he had nine
Office boys in his employ who had
been discharged for stealing postage
stamps, it having been proved in
every instance that the boys stole in
order to purchase cigarets. There
were laws on our statute books at
that time, forbidding the aale of Gig
arets to boys appearing to be under
sixteen years of age, and the law
doubtless was restrictive in some small
degree in relation to the sales to
young boys, but was entirely made
quate to cope with the evil. That
will be found to be the case in Eng
land The olalSs- ---tt-;-l-=%i------
in what is now most alarming stu
alton is by creating a sentiment
against indulgence in such a devas-
tating vice. and experience has shown
that that sentiment can be created.
The writer, with the cooperation
of a number of school principals in
this city, and with contributions from
several of his associates in the Board
Of Education and some friends out
side to meet the expense of the move
ment, was able without very much
effort to enroll over $4,000 boys in
the public schools of this city in anti
cigaret leagues, organized in the
schools, for the purpose of preventing
the growth of the evil that the boys
soon came to understand and avoid.
A constitution and bylaws and the
machinery of intelligent organization
were provided, interest was excited
and maintained, and much was done
to arrest the growth of the vice. In
telligent instruction with reference to
the subject was given, and the boys
soon came to understand that they
could not compete in the struggle for
success after they left school if they
were handicapped by the habit that
rendered their employment undesira-
bic in offices and by corporations
down town. The establishment of
these leagues extended to various
| parts of the country, and afterward
they were established in England on
the same lines as here indicated.
The astonishing thing about the
situation is that, so far as I am in
formed, there is not college in the
country where any effort has been
made to stamp out the cigaret inhal-
ing habit, and little or no effort has
been made to warn students who
are leaving our academic institutions
every year by hundreds, with health
more or less shattered, as direct re-
suit of four years indulgence i'll the
inhaling habit. In my opinion there
is no more important matter to be
considered by our college authorities
than the subject matter of this article.
1 II IS rather delicate matter for some
of them to handle, as some of the pro-
fessors in our colleges are hopelessly
addicted to this habit, and their use
fulness is affected, in my opinion,
quite as seriously as though they
were addicted to the alcoholic or the
morphine habit. Many of the physi'
clans in the college towns are them
selves inhaling 6ends and are not II
a position to give influential advice
When the boys and young men come
to understand that there are hundred:
of offices in all the large cities where
the inhaling victim cannot secure EN-
ployment, it would be natural If they
should have some feeling of resent
ment toward those who should hav'
pointed out their danger years be
fore.
In my opinion there should be al
organization established in every col
lege by the manly leaders among tn
students, whose object shall be to in
duce the freshmen on entering t
pledge themselves against such an un
| American, nn-Va1e. uu-HarvaTd-