Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1912-09-13
CIGARETTES ARE
BAD FOR WOMEN.
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson Gas De-
Cided Views on Subject.
ssgEs
4 CONFUSION OF NAMES
Wife of Democratic Candidate Givas
Out Letter Taking Strong Stand on
Smoking Habit. -

New York.-For the first time since
Woodrow Wilson became the Demo
cratic presidential candidate has MIA
Wilson appeared. She attended m
person her husbands daily conference
with reporters. although heretofore
she has made special requests that she
Be not quoted nor written about IN the
papera
What MIRA Wilson wished TO have
fully understood was that If she be-
comes the first lady Of the land she
will not. as has been said IN 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. VIII
son asked that publicity be given to a
letter she had written to the editor OF
the State journal at Columbus. O.,
repudiating an alleged interview with
her in which she defended cigarette
smoking for women. The interview
mad come to her in letter signed
american Citizen" which said:
Lear MdQdlu-4 S0A SSeaASSAy S>>A~~-s
Of any greater calamity to the young
women OF the nation than to read such
q preachment as your interview offers
them. ] am a workingman, and l see
men lose their jobs almost every day
because they are incaracftated Tor
work by the use Of the cigarette. II
smoking does this for strong men
l. A. a ~ M ~
The Interview" was indeed Q cor
dial Endorsement OF the woman smok-
er. Here are some of Its assuring
phrases, all credited to Mrs. Wilson:
"a woman writer for a syndicate OF
Sunday newspapers asked Mrs Wood
row Wilson II she agreed with Ger
trude Atherton's opinion OF the smok-
ing of cigarettes by women. She smil-
ingly exhibited three cigarette boxes
piled in the corner of her desk, all but
empty.
"Why shouldn't woman smoke II
she enjoys it2 she queried.
"'Why hasn't she just as much right
to a cigarette as man Certainly
agree with Mrs. Anterior that any
existing prejudice against women
smoking 10 to the last silly and abb
surd.
Smoking cigarettes Is q question
of manners, not morals. 1t promotes
good fellowship.
"'Some women feel that q cigarette
Gains their nerves and helps their
brains into working order. Personally
smoking diffuses my thoughts instead
OF concentrating them. enjoy It as l
enjoy after dinner coffee. Both are
pleasant ways of ending and finishing
off; both add to conviviality and good
fellowship"
The editor of the Ohio State Journal,
It was clear, had been much incensed
at the apologies for the cigarette habit
among women attributed to Mrs. VIII.
son, as he wrote on Aug. 10 an edito.
rial in which he called for the defeat
of Governor Wilson or reputation
from his wife. II there was no mis-
take about it, he wrote, Mrs. Wood
row Wilson shouldn't be mistress OF
the White House."
II the Ohio editor was emphatlo
Mrs. Wilson was certainly not less so.
After the reporters had said they
would gladly publish her letter to tho
Ohio editor she asked for an hours
time in which to write one. This was
what abe prepared:
Dear Sir- have just received .
COPY OF the Journal with your sdito-
rial entitled Smoking Womeo.' and
beg leave to deny Indignantly IT,
statement that approve OF women
smoking cigarettes. The interview
upon which your editorial was based
! Is . pure invention. l intensely dis
like the cigarette smoking habit for
women-in fact, 20 strong 10 ny feel
| ing on the subject that my real danger
lies In being 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.
s.uite apart from the bad taste of It,
believe with you that 1t has an 81
tremely injurious effect on the nerveG
ELLEN A. WILSON.
(-Mrs. Woodrow Wilson.J
Governor Wilson, In approving the
letter sent out by Mrs. Wilson. offered
what he thought might prove an sx-
PLANTATION for the interview.
II do not think u was mAliciously
J inyented." he said- "Thare r. Es.fA>s