The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-31
KANSAS CONNENT
THE CIGARETTE

Inc latest issue of the Industrialist
q puohcation issued weekly by the
state Agricultural college, at Manhat-
Tan Is devoted to an article treating of
the cigarette smoking boy" written
ny "ilnam A McKeeyer, teacher of
pnliosophy at that school.
II is a good, sensible talk, couched
III pam language, and it should re-
SelVe the attention of every boy who
iiae acquired the cigarette habit, and
sseryone is likely to acquire it. Few
Sany understand it's evil effects, on
NJ Hino as well as the body. Mr..
Mckeever says:
one OF the greatest menaces to our
moral ana intellectual wellbeing to-
10y Is the TACT that cigarette smoking
Is becoming popular fad among boys
and young men, while the use of a
STRONG pipe Is close second in favor.
70 "nere you will in this broad land
oI ours and the pale faces, clear eyes,
eIeInplng fingers and the foul stencil
" cLsdrette fumes tell the same pathet-
ic story. This most serious blight upon
the ploom and beauty of our American
poynood Is chargable to parental ig-
norance and carelessness. For the past
eisnt years 1 have been tracing out the
cigarette boys biography, and / have
round that in practically all cases the
iad began his smoking habit clandes-
tinely, at an early age, and with little
OF no thought of its seriousness, while
the 1ond parents perhaps believed that
such a practice
Inc story contains a suggestion that
should be of value to the parents of
boys. The average American lad is not
creature of vicious instincts, and he
would not learn bad habits If fairly
impressed with knowledge of their eff
fects. A boy is initiative, and given to
the admiration of his elders and the
combination often leads him astray.
The school boy usually has hero;
II that hero smokes cigarettes, why
the smoking of cigarette is a manly
and entirely commendable thing, and
the false Etruscan who does not learn
to smoke should think shame of him.
self. And SO the boy, with the best
motives in the world, becomes addict
ed to habit that undermines his
health, his intellect, and to often his
morals, for it is known beyond cavil
that cigarette smoking is degrading as
we'll as enervating.
cellent sermon is that parents should
be eyer alert as to what their boys
are doing 1t. is not fair to place the
whole weight of moral responsibility
upon the boys; as remarked. they often
acquire the bad habit innocently and
would shun 1t If properly warned
against it,
The worst thing about this cigar
cite habit after it's direct physical eff
fects, is that it usually leads to other
habits still more degrading. 1t creates
a morbid appetite that demands I'M
wholesome Observation-Disclosures Ga
zette.
PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY POOR
A great deal has been written of
late about the unrest in India; about
the awakening of China's vast popu-
lation, and the warlike preparations
of Japan. And the more one reads
of conditions in those far eastern
countries, the more it seems apparent
that the people have ample ground
for complaint. Take the textile in
dustry as a single representative ex-
ample. In India, the silk mills and
a day for twelve hours work. while
the children earn cents for the
same time. Boys in the cotton mills
at Hong Kong are paid and s cents
mills receive the handsome wage of
Is cents a day. One used to western
standards of living naturally wonders
how the people live on such a pit
lance, but they do, and some families
actually save money OF course. it
can hardly be called a living, but they
exist. A handful of rice makes a
meal, and, particularly in India, there
is little need for clothes, and q single
meager garment suffices. The Indian
makes his house of mud. and roofs it
with tiles, which is a cheap style of
architecture, although lacking in
beauty and comfort. Knowing. then,
how much fault is found with condi-
lions in this and other prosperous
lands. 1t is small wonder there is dis
satisfaction in the Orient.-Atchison
Globe.