The Washington herald., 1909-06-01
CHURCHMEN AND TOBACCO,

regard 10 the persona. habits Of its mem
ters. Rev. Ellsworth Rich. Of Watson
Vile. Cal. introduced q resolution de-
claring that Il was the sense OF the Gen
eral Assembly that ministers should not
use tobacco. A layman-we should Ike
10 know his name-thereupon demanded
that laynen should be Included IN the
prohibition. This was done, and then, &C
cOrding 10 the dispatches ''the resolution
was adopted amid cheering
The worst thing about such action as
this Is. not that Il vii be utterly futile,
but that it IS insincere. No man who
voted for the declaration, provided ne
knows anything OF the world, could have
believed for one moment that the least
respect would be paid 20 the resolution
PresbyterianS-at least among the ay-
men. and we should hate TO answer Ior
the smoking parsons-win simply con
tlnue 20 smoke. The writer has, since
the publication OF this news from Den
yer. met several Presbyterian friends,
and they were smoking. as usual though
all had read CT the action OF the general
assembly. They did not resent-as they
well might have done-this effort 70 con-
troll their personal habits, because they
looked on the action as merely prOfes-
slonai. and were willing 70 make conces-
Sions 10 the supposedly tender copscienees
OF those who are shocked al the sight OF
a cigar or q pipe
But there IS a serious side 10 this
question 4 church ought not to make
rules which II IS certain viii be broken
To forbid dancing and card-playing when
Il is known perfectly Wen that the pro
hibition viii not be observed, IS 20 bring
the church into contempt We believe
that the Methodists Still have such rules
as these. Yet there are as many Metho-
dists. az least IN our larger cities. who
dance and play cards as there are otner
Christians The ministers know this. and
VET there is no attempt at discipline.
And so in regard to the use OF tobacco.
The resolution or TIE subject VIII be ig-
nored- In the first case. the law of the
church is violated. and II the second its
VIII IS disregarded. The more OF these
unenforced and unobserved laws there
are the worse for the church. the worse
II
thing OF eli is the unreality OF the whole
performance BIen who use their eyes.
and who know what Is going Cn around
them, can not but know that people VIII
not submit 70 such a regulation OF their
personal conduct. The Presbyterian
brother was not ignorant of the fact that
his feIlow-churchmer smoke, ana i ne
did not know that they would continue
10 smoke il was because 5e DID not
know human nature; did not know even
Presbyterian nature.
Il Is ali very far away from lie. VIE
ont anv relation whatever 10 It Men who
believe that there IS nothing morally
wrong in smoking viii continue the prac-
tice. no matter what the church may say
precisely as those who see nothing wrong
IN dancing have continued 10 dance. II
utter defiance OF the law Of the church
Such codes of morals are, as We have
said. unreal and wholly artificial They
do not touch character al any point, ex-
cept 10 impair and weaken IL Il al
comes 70 this. Certain an1iable gentlemeT
get together and decide that certain
thing which they do not co = wrong
and then they conclude that they WI
try 70 prevent others from doing Il
though those others may be quite cieai
that u IS right, or az least indlIeEelI
Those against whom the restriction rests
naturally feel aggrieved- Rear AdIniTa
Watson. for instance, IN commenting OF
the action OF the General Assembly, SAID
II am disgusted at this assembly Iol
pl,ttine tobacco in the same categorl
with intoxicating liquor, and becoming
fanatical BY denouucing tobacco, thuI
weakening the force OF the deliveTanc'
against liquor.
As showing how futile the declaration
IS we note that II is said that "smokin,
went on last evening SIS usual And tha
Is the worst phase Of the matter. For
must have been known that smoking
would 20 on as usual. II It wes 10
known. it could be only because the me-
were sadly ignorant Of the world wiu
which they have 70 deal. Smoking ma
be foolish. extravagant. and physician
I harmful. but. even SO. tie case IS one 70
the individual smoker or for his physi
cian. The church may as well realiz
/ that men VIII no longer consent 70 b
dealt with as they were dealt with two o
/ three hundred years ago. 4 large meas
ure Of the present indifference toward n
church IS due 10 such interfeTeaees g
| this personal liberty
Men do not rebel simply because the
/ look on such utterances as mere expres
sions Of opinion which 90 not bind then
But Indifference may easily grow Int
rebellion. Indeed. there are signs OF II
volt which # Is foolish 10 ignore tn
/ church he's lost much Of It's power bt
/ cause Of its unwise use OF power It ha
no right thus to weaken Itself, for "
need the influence Of Christianity tO-da
more than we ever did. Men understsn
this. and so many Of them are lookin
for a Christianity outside Of and apar
from the churches. This tendency surel
ought 20 arouse the apprehensions OF ou
/ religious leaders. The Christianity that
desired is the old Christianity. which va
/ hardly at all thing Of rules and Of
! dinsnces which dealt with characte
| rather than with external conduct
men cannot get Il IN the churches. the
/ will get It outside Of them This whol
| effort 10 find Christianity apart from tn
| church-which should be the incarnatiO
OF It. the incarnation Of Christ Himself
Is the direct product OF the church
meddling with innocent personal habit
Of the ehurch's attempt TO set I'D a nal
row and artificial code. not Of morality
but OF conduct II the action OF the Gel
eral Assembly does no harm, il wiz
only because men look on II as unimpOl
/ tant-which Is about the most sever
judgment they could pass on It.
Her Intentions.
From tbs Houston Post
| $40 xror think S-our sister vs-IU MARI