The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-27
THE PEOPLES FORUM
The Question How Can We Control Our Boys" and
Personal Liberty Considered.

The Question How Can We Control Our Boys and
Personal IAberty Considered
Editor OF The Vrginian;
SRA prominent church member and Sunday
school teacher OF boys in prominent church in this
city. months ago. before the prayer meeting
OF his church. and then again before ms sunday
school on the following Sunday morning. that. there
is nothing against of tobacco in the Bible
and whenever feel like taking a smoke intend to
do On both occasions the brother referred TO what
recently heard from the lips OF the evangelist
DR.. Curry When in a sermon he spoke against the
Of tobacco the going TO theatres 70 the postoce
fer business mail the Lords Day. &C. The said
church member seemed to be chatting under the
and hence he seemed determined that his home
church and should hear his expressions
Sunday-schoo closed that morning l saw the
same elderly gentleman and sanday-schooi teacher
sitting In class room fronting the sunday,schoo
room. and before him was sitting man smoking
cigar In the church building and IN PLAIN view o,
those who were in the Sunday school room. l could
but be impressed with the doubiy unoecoming CON
mixed the rutage Of the teaching and example OF that
prominent church member and sunday -schooA
teacher.
Now. as q brother Christian challenge his
right Christian man to set SO hurttul an eN-
ample before the rising generation OF boys and Fous
men, by even boldly and publicly approving haot
so pernicous and Injurious using tobacco LEI US
then examine the subject In the lght OF dods u
the Holy Scriptures In the first place, tobacco Is MOI
mentioned at all In the Bible. In SO many words, ana
We know mat the smoking OF loDAcco was ~ ~, 90
by the American Indians or savages And 1t is also
true that God has put upon the use or tobacco me
stamp His disapprobation by causing it to make
the beginner sick: deadly sick And yet that
n.y.
deter would-be smoker and chewer OF to-
bacco Is it true that the Bible Gin so many
saloons theatres going the postofice for bust
mail the Lords day" Are we therefore, at
liberty desecrate the Lords day by doing those
things habitually please? Nay verify there are
many men whose erroneous ideas of personal liberty
betray them into doing and defending that whch
is misleading and exceedingly huruul to those VINO
may be influenced by such examples Such men
lose sight OF the God given law Of experfency, for II
our teaching and example cause others to stumble
tto sim we then sin against Christ Cor .. ~
n u
drink wine, anything whereby our brother
eumbleth or is made to sin, Or Is made WEAK,
whereby thy brother sSumbleth is far reaching and
coyers the whole scope as to what Is proper i'm
proper our Christian conduct II then, 1t be true
that the using OF tobacco Is useless filthy hurtrui
habit (Which all unprejudlced minds must admit
then the above quotations of Scripture must be
understood condemning the use of tobacco AS
reformed tobacco chewer and smoker. than
thirty years free of Its use all better quail
fled TO denounce the use Of tobacco as useless
filthy hurtful habit It is equally due that because
of the example of good representative men in the
of tobacco, the like habits are speedily taken
up by the boys little Of four 1--WE years
Of age and thus the OF tobacco is perpetuated
from generation to generation 1t is perfectly natural
boys initiate and follow the examples OF men;
and the exalted the man. the greater the scope
and power Of his influence. wonder how many
boys and young have yielded to the tobacco
J habit through the influence and teaching of that
/ Sunday school teacher
Is it trihing matter to be stumbling block in the
way of those who may be mised by us? Let the great
Judge OF the quick and the dead answer that ques-
| ton. Then said he unto his discipes--it is fmpos-
sibe but that offences will come, but woe unto him
| Though whom they come IT were better Tor MIN
/ that milestone were hanged about his neck and be
cast into the than that he should offend cause to
sim of these little ones" Luke IT: IL.
II The writer thus Influenced long years ago for
/ I thought 1t the right thing TO follow the ex-
ample OF father the doctor the merchant and other
good of the community In the use of tobacco
and yet / powerfully admonshed not to use It
by being made deadly sick in the beginning, but
4 persevered IN smoking every day until the habit
was fixed upon me. Having passed through tho mil
of experience. and free from the perncions
habit Of smoking and chewing tobacco now for more
than thirty years l do the more earnestly ADVISE
y against that habit, and especially do admonsf
Christian especially ministers OF the Gospel anc
Sunday teachers not to set such an example
before boys and young men. This admonftion come;
from a eighty years of age, whose hanc
has written this article. II, however you are de-
termned to smoke tobacco, and will not be admonish
ed by the Holy Scriptures proper sense of pro
priety. then have the good sense TO out of doors
and of sight OF everybody Giving heed to this
/ communication. VIII very far towards answering
\ the question. how 30 control our boys
1 j. w. DOLlN.
Richmond Va