The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-08-30
CIGARETTES ARE
BAD FOR WOMEN
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson Has De-
CIded Views on Subject.
4 CONFUSION Of NAMES
Wife Of Democratic Candidate olives
Out Letter Taking etrshs stand en-
Smoking Habit

| Smoking HapsG
New York.-For the nrat time sincs
Woodrow Wilson became the Demo
cratic presidential candidate has Mrs
Wilson appeared. She attended in
person her husbands daily conference
with reporters. although hsretosors
abe has made special requests that
ahe be not quoted nor written about
in the papers.
That Mrs. Wilson wished 20 havs
fully understood was that II she be
comes the first lady OF the land she
will not. as has ban l@io ia . widely
distributed interview. have packages
OF cigarettes in her personal desk at
the White House and indulge in smok
ing them with her callers.
Through Governor Wilson. Mrs. VII
son asked that publicity be given to Q
letter she had written to the editor ol
the State Journal at Columbus. o., re
pudiatinE an alleged interview with
her in which she defended cigarette
smoking for women. The interview
had come TO her in a letter signed
american Citissn." which said:
Dear Madam can scarcely thinh
OF any greater calamity 20 the young
women OF the nation than 70 read such
q preachmert as yoar interview Offers
them. am . workinaman. and / see
men lose their Jobs almost svsry day
because they are incApAeitated for
work BY the uee OF the cigsretts. II
smoking does this for strong man
what will II do for girls and women r
The interview was indeed . cor
dial indorssmsnt of the woman smok-
er. Here are some OF its assuring
phrases, all credited 10 Mrs. Wilson:
"A woman writer for q syndicate Of
Sunday newspapers asked Mra. Wood
row Wilson II she agreed with Ger
trude Atherton's opinion of the smok
ina of cigarettes by women. She anil
ingly exhibited three cigarette boxes
piled in the corner Of her desk, all but
empty.
why shouldn't woman smoke II
abe enjoys it?" she Queried.
why hasn't she just as much right
to cigarette as man? Certainly
agree with Mrs. Atherton that any
existing prejudice against women
smoking is to the last silly and alb.
surd.
Smoking cigarettes is a question
of manners, not morals. 1t promotes
good fellowship.
Come women feel that cigarette
caims their nerves and helps their
brains into working order. Personally
smoking diffuses my thoughts instead
OF concentrating them. enjoy 1t as
enjoy afterdinner coffee Both are
pleasant ways of ending and finishing
of: both add to conyiviality and good
fellowship"
The editor OF the Ohio State Jour
nal. It was clear, had been much in
censed at the apologies for the cigar
cite habit among women attributed to
Mrs. Wilson. so he wrote on Aug. 10
an editorial In which he called for the
defeat Of Governor Wilson or a repu-
diation from his wife. II there was no
mistake about it. he wrote, MRS.
woodrow Wilson shouldn't be mis-
tress Of the White House"
II the Ohio editor was emphatic.
Mrs. Wilson was certainly not less SO.
After the reporters had said they
would gladly publish her letter to the
Ohio editor she asked for an hours
time in which to write one. This was
what she prepared:
Dear sir-I have just received
copy Of the Journal with your editorial
entitled Smoking Women, and I beg
leave to Indignantly deny the state
ment that / approve OF women smok-
ing cigarettes. The interview upon
which your editorial was based is
pure invention. intensely dislike the
cigarette smoking habit for women
In fact. SO strong is my feeling on the
subject that my real danger lies in be-
Ing unjust and unkind in my Judgment
OF those who differ with me in this
respect.
But certainly no woman in our
household ever has or ever will smoke
Quite apart from the bad taste of It. I
believe with you that 1t has an ex.
tremsly Injurious effect on the nerves.
ELLEN 4. WILSON.
C'Mrs. Woodrow Wilson.o
Governor Wilson. In approving the
letter sent out by Mrs. Wilson. offered
what he shought might prove an ex.
PLANTATION for the interview.
I do not think 1t was maliciously |
invented" he said. There is a rather |
well known writer who signs herself |
Mrs. Wilson Woodrow. and she no |
doubt has been confused with Mrs
Wilson"
Mrs' Wilson Woodrow was formerly |
married to relative OF Governor Wi.